Happily Ever After: The Lost Princess
by Mertz
Summary: Sequel to Happily Ever After: Sodalis Vitae - This is Romelle's story. Bits of KA throughout.
1. Chapter 1 - Episode 1

Welcome to the next installment of the Happily Ever After series. This is Romelle's story. Just so you understand the setup, it is based off of three episodes that involved Romelle from the original series. The third episode will be longer than the first two together as it deals with Romelle meeting Sven. I always did have problems with the cartoon having her fall in love within two minutes of meeting the crazy man in the cave.

For the KA lovers who just let out a huge sigh of disappointment, there are some KA scenes within this story. You just have to savor them when you find them.

Enjoy!

I make no claims to Voltron, or any other WEP character.

Happily Ever After: The Lost Princess

Episode 1: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Seeing Castle Doom for the first time, Princess Romelle's eyes move up the intimidating structure, noting the spiked spires at the top of the castle. She barely hears her father commenting on how the design is meant to inspire fear as well as protect the empire from Doom's enemies. Feeling her older brother, Avok, pulling on her arm, she drops her gaze and moves forward. Her eyes run over a statue of King Zarkon defeating an enemy with his mighty sword in the courtyard before she is led into Doom Castle. The interior is a complete contrast to the exterior. Now the guest is meant to be impressed, with the gold leafing of the crown moldings around the ceilings and the massive columns with figurines carved into them surrounding the grand hallway. Enormous portraits of prior kings line the walls, each more ferocious looking than the last.

A female slave, with her long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and dressed in little more than see through scarves with gold armbands of serpents around her upper arms, greets them with a smile and directs them to follow her. Romelle follows behind her father, King Cova, and older brother. Her younger brother, Prince Bandor, walks beside her. The rest of their retainers follow close behind. Just before the throne room, they stop as the slave informs them she needs to announce their entry. As she disappears through the door, her father turns back to her. His eyes move over her and Bandor as he orders, "You two will stay here with Trey and Mako."

A deep disappointed sigh escapes the youngest prince and his gaze falls to the ground. Avok approaches and cuffs him on the back of the head, "You're too old to pout. Besides, I'm sure you will get to meet them before we leave."

Bandor nods, his disappointment stealing his voice. Romelle watches her brother and father share a look before her father bends down in front of him and tips his chin up, "You're almost a man. I'm trusting you, Bandor, to look after your sister and keep her safe. It is a big responsibility. You can do that for me, can't you?"

He finally looks up, a small smile slipping across his young face, "Yes, Father."

"Good, keep your sword with you at all times. Never let your guard down," the king reminds him.

Regaining his feet, King Cova turns back to Romelle, his gaze now stern, "If Trey or Mako gives you an order, be sure to follow it."

Romelle nods to her father, but is also disappointed not to be allowed into the throne room, not that she'll show it. After hearing all the stories and rumors about King Zarkon, she is still interested in seeing him in person. The slave returns a moment later. Before she can say anything, Cova states, "I'd like my daughter and youngest son taken to a waiting room and given refreshments."

The slave's eyes move over the princess and prince, but she simply nods then directs King Cova, Avok and the other two retainers into the throne room. Romelle watches them go, still wishing she could join them. The slave returns and signals them to follow her. She leads them down another hallway and directs them through a door.

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Inside the throne room, Prince Lotor paces back and forth in front of the royal throne. So angry that he can barely control it, he clenches and unclenches his fists in an effort to regain control of his temper. Having just been informed of the nature of their guests request for an audience, it took every bit of self-control the prince possesses not to strike at his parent as he is still inclined to do. Pausing in his pacing, he glares at this father, the king, as he continues their argument, "Planet Arus is mine to conquer. How dare you interfere?"

Zarkon smiles in the face of his son's rage, his fangs glistening, "I do as I wish, Lotor. That is the point of being king. You'll do well to remember that."

Holding his fist in front of the king's face, Lotor declares, "You gave Arus to me!"

"And you have failed to conquer it," Zarkon retorts, the smile fading and his fist tightening around his scepter.

"Your Majesty and Prince Lotor, I present King Cova, and his son, Prince Avok, of Planet Pollux," a slave announces with a bow, interrupting the argument.

Gritting his teeth to hold in his rage, Lotor moves to stand beside his father's throne. He learned the cardinal rule long ago to never argue with his father in front of new allies or enemies. It shows weakness when they need to appear strong. He glares down at the line of men kneeling with their heads bowed at the bottom of the stairs and crosses his arms. Studying them, he picks out the King of Pollux by the royal insignia on his cloak. His eyes drift over to the young man kneeling next to him. Same build, but with brilliant red hair instead of the gray of the king, and similar clothing that has the same insignia, but of a different color and size. Determining the man to be the king's son, Lotor listens as his father greets them, "Cova, welcome to Planet Doom."

"King Zarkon, I thank you for taking the time to meet with us."

"Your message intrigued me, Cova. Tell me why you want to defeat Arus," Zarkon orders while relaxing into his chair.

"It's an old family feud," King Cova explains as he lifts his head to face Zarkon. "My great, great, great grandfather's position as the rightful King of Arus was usurped by his younger brother and he was banished to Pollux. He swore revenge. Though he could not complete the vow in his lifetime, he made his sons swear to uphold his pledge upon his deathbed. Each generation since has made the same pledge."

He draws a deep breath before continuing, "The greatest day in my father's life was when we received word you destroyed Arus. He died shortly after, a happy man. The worst day of my life was when I received word that Voltron was revived. This ends! I will be the one to carry out the vow."

"And how do you propose to do that?" demands Lotor, forgetting his place as he steps forward.

Keeping his gaze firmly locked on Zarkon, the king answers, "By asking that your witch, Haggar, turns our best warrior into a robeast that will be sent to Arus. He has never lost a battle. He will destroy Arus!"

"And who is this…great warrior?" asks Lotor with a deliberate hesitation, his tone showing his disdain.

Before the king can speak, a hand falls on top of his, silencing him. The head of Prince Avok rises, his bright, blue eyes determined as he answers, "Me."

Laughter bursts out of Lotor and he sneers, "You?"

The men at the bottom of the stairs all stand, furious at their prince being insulted and ready to fight. King Cova hands out his hand to quiet them and looks back up at the Prince of Doom to reply, "I suggest a demonstration. Your best warrior against Prince Avok."

"That would be me," Lotor returns as he jumps down the flight of steps to land in front of them and whips out his laser sword, holding it out against them.

"Relax Lotor," King Zarkon orders, appearing bored with the proceedings. He rises from his throne and stares down at the men as if deciding. Finally, he turns his head towards his old witch and asks, "Haggar, your thoughts?"

The witch runs a scaly hand over her blue cat, Coba while sitting in her place to the left of Zarkon's throne. Her head rises, her yellow eyes gleaming, as she appraises the men below her. A queer smile slips across her face as she remarks, "A better question is, what have you got to lose?"

"Only my time," Zarkon remarks back in a quiet tone.

"If Prince Avok wins, you are rid of Arus and Voltron," she points out.

"And perhaps Lotor will find a better use for his time," Zarkon adds with a nod. Decision made, the Doom king looks back down at men below him and orders, "Very well, Cova. A demonstration to prove your son's worth. If Avok can win against my warriors in the arena then Haggar will turn him into a robeast."

"But Father…" Lotor begins to argue, forgetting the cardinal rule.

"You will abide my decision, Lotor," the king replies in a sharp tone.

Furious, Lotor defers to his parent with a short bow. Looking back at the men from Pollux, more anger fills him at the smug looks sent his way before a slave girl directs them to follow her out of the throne room. Clenching his fists, Lotor glares back up at his parent only to find the king walking away, the old witch following him. Starting for the door, he follows the others to the arena. He will see how this usurper, Avok, fights. If his father and these fools from Pollux think they can just take Arus from him, they are sadly mistaken.

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Watching the demonstration from his father's box thirty minutes later, Lotor's eyes narrow on the occupants standing in the middle of the arena. They circle each other, looking for a weak spot, their swords drawn. One of his father's favorite warriors, a beast shaped much like a cat, stands on his back legs with a long tail whipping from side to side. A deep blue in color, with well-muscled arms and legs, a wicked looking sword in one hand, dangerous long claws extended on the other. The robeast has at least a good two feet on Prince Avok, not that it always matters. Size means little when the opponent has skill, as Lotor learned a long time ago. His eyes follow the prince as he sidesteps a crude slash by the beast then follows with a back-cut that slices through the robeast's arm. As it howls in pain and attempts another slash, Prince Avok steps aside again and continues circling the beast, biding his time.

Impressed despite himself, Lotor acknowledges that Avok's boast of being a great warrior isn't far from the mark. He allows the robeast to keep coming at him, slowly tiring him out until it makes a desperate slash that Avok jumps to avoid then brings his sword down, slicing off the beast's sword arm. As it howls and attempts to tear into Avok with its claws, he brings the sword up, cutting off the robeast's hand. Jumping into the air a final time, Avok removes the beast's head, finishing him.

Unwilling to stand aside a moment longer, Lotor rises from his seat as he declares, "So you can beat a mindless beast. How about a real opponent?"

Jumping from the box, Lotor lands in the arena and pulls out his laser sword. Avok's eyes narrow at him as he lifts his sword, ready for any move. Deciding not to give him time to assess him, Lotor comes dashing forward with a yell. The swords clash as Avok blocks his move. Stepping into him, the Doom prince tries to unbalance Avok, the blades sliding higher as both men struggle to hold their ground.

Giving him a nasty smile, Lotor exclaims, "Fool, it's not like fighting a beast, is it?"

Pushing his body weight into him, Lotor forces Avok to take a step back to maintain his hold on his sword. Sweat gleams down his face as Avok struggles to keep his balance. Forcing the Polluxian prince's back against the wall, Lotor is about to finish him when he hears a voice call out, "Avok! Win it for us!"

Looking up, he spots a vision of loveliness in a long, blue dress, her long blond hair flowing down her back. The fact that she is almost a twin to the Princess of Arus flies through his mind. Her bright blue eyes sparkle as she raises a hand out, "Win, my brother!"

So distracted, Lotor fails to notice Avok's movement until it is too late. He flips his blade around, knocking Lotor's sword out of his hand. Backing up, Lotor glares at the Polluxian prince as Avok holds his sword against his neck and remarks, "It's a lot like fighting a beast."

From above, King Zarkon's voice rings out, "Lotor, you're a fool to let a woman distract you."

Lotor looks up at his parent as he continues, "Cova, if turning your son into a robeast is still your wish, we will grant it."

From the side, Cova stands and remarks, "It is."

A door along the side of the arena opens to reveal the witch. Haggar moves forward until she reaches Avok and says, "If you wish to become a robeast, follow me."

Sheathing his sword, Avok follows the witch out of the arena. Turning his attention back to Cova, Lotor watches the king signal to the girl, and the younger boy next to her, to follow him. Seizing his chance, he springs up into the stands and asks, "Who might this beauty be?"

He ignores the expression on Cova's face as the king reluctantly answers, "Prince Lotor, this is my daughter, Princess Romelle, and my youngest son, Prince Bandor."

Ignoring the boy and his father, Lotor kneels in front of Romelle while taking her hand, "Your beauty shines as bright as a sun, fair lady." After placing a kiss on the petal soft skin, he adds, "I insist you join us for dinner tonight."

She smiles brightly at him then turns to her father for permission. King Cova's displeasure shines on his face, but his tone is courteous as he answers, "It would be our pleasure, Prince Lotor."

Standing, Lotor places Romelle's hand on his arm as he turns to lead them back to Doom Castle. Perhaps his plans might have to change, at least slightly, for the King of Pollux and his children.


	2. Chapter 2

Because chapter 1 was part of the preview, and most have already read it, I figured I'd give you another chapter early. Not sure on posting schedule yet.

Enjoy.

Chapter 2

Sitting at the overly large table in the middle of Castle Doom's royal dining hall, Romelle can barely contain her excitement. She is sitting next to the Prince of Doom, one of the most sought after men in the entire Denubian Galaxy. If the other royal girls from her old school knew, they would be green with jealousy. Looking across the large expanse of the table, she catches her father giving her a pointed look and tries to rein in her eagerness. He gave her a long lecture on his expectations of her before they came down for dinner. She is to do nothing to attract any more of Prince Lotor's attention. Her father has already begun negotiations with the king of Planet Mora. He expects to announce her engagement in less than a month. A deep sigh escapes the princess. She has no wish to end up on a strange planet away from her family for the rest of her life.

"Is the food not to your liking, Princess Romelle?"

Turning to Prince Lotor, she gives him a bright smile before answering, "No, just lost in my own thoughts."

"Thoughts of me, I hope," Lotor replies, his own smile growing.

Romelle doesn't reply to that remark. Instead, she simply smiles at him again. Her attention goes to the King of Doom as Zarkon remarks, "It's a pity your son couldn't join us, Cova. But the process he is undertaking is a long one."

"Long, but well worth the effort to see Arus defeated," Cova returns. He turns his attention to Lotor, "I would appreciate any information you have on the Garrison pilots stationed on Arus. I understand there are five?"

"Four now," Lotor replies with a smirk. "Haggar injured one of them and we captured him from the hospital he was recuperating in, on Planet Ebb."

"You had him, Lotor," Zarkon corrects him. "You lost him almost as fast as you captured him."

"Lost him?" repeats King Cova, his eyebrows knitted together. "Did he escape Doom?"

"No, he's still here, hiding somewhere in the slave tunnels like a rat," Lotor replies, irritated with his father for embarrassing him in front of their guests. "No one escapes Doom."

"So who is piloting his lion?" Romelle asks, unable to stop herself.

She earns a glare from her father for speaking out of turn, but Lotor answers her, "Princess Allura has taken over Blue Lion."

"Allura, who is she?"

"The last surviving member of the House of Altair," Cova responds bitterly to his daughter. "She will pay the debt of her ancestors."

"A princess rules Arus?" Romelle questions, her tone disbelieving.

"What's left of it to rule," Lotor answers with a smirk. "The few remaining people still hide in caves. Their fear of our attacks is strong."

About to ask another question, Romelle looks across the table to find the expression on her father's face forbidding. She will answer later for daring to engage in the men's conversation when she returns to her rooms. Pressing her lips together to stifle her inquisitive nature, Romelle settles back into her seat. She contents herself with listening to the conversation for the rest of dinner and speaking only when spoken to as her governess taught her.

As the dessert plates are removed and King Zarkon stands, Romelle and the rest of the company rise. She feels the eyes of the Drule king on her for a moment before he says his farewells and leaves the dining hall. Her father gestures to her. Romelle steps around her chair only for Lotor to place a hand on her arm and stop her. He gives her a winsome smile, "Princess Romelle, would you care for a walk around the gardens before you retire?"

"I'm afraid that is not possible, Prince Lotor," Cova answers as he reaches them. "Romelle needs to get her rest before we return to Pollux in the morning, but thank you for being kind enough to ask her."

Indignation fills Romelle, but she wisely keeps her lips pressed together as her father nods to Lotor, takes her by the arm, and leads her away. Once out of earshot, Cova snarls at her, "What did I tell you?"

"I said nothing-"

"Romelle, you are not to do anything that attracts Prince Lotor's attention. Did I not make myself clear? Yet, you felt compelled to show him how smart you are by asking about Arus," he continues as if she hasn't spoken at all.

"I'm sorry, Father," she apologizes only for the king to squeeze her arm, his fingers digging into the soft flesh, and make her cringe from the pain.

"No, I don't think you are," Cova replies, his hold on her arm tightening even more. "But you will be if you do not learn how to curb your tongue and do as you're instructed."

"Yes, Father," Romelle says in a demure tone, relief filling her when Cova's grip on her arm loosens.

He leads her back to her rooms for the night then leaves her once she is inside of the room. As her maid helps her to ready for bed, Romelle allows her mind to wander over what a moonlit walk with Prince Lotor would have been like. She can't help the smile that slips across her face as she thinks of him trying to steal a kiss. She has never been kissed. Her father is far too protective of her virtue to allow any young man close to her own age near her without a chaperon. Settling against her pillows, Romelle closes her eyes. She dreams of a handsome prince kidnapping her from her father's castle and the grand adventure they would have. Then, he would marry her, saving her from being sent to a planet she doesn't know and being forced to marry an old man to suit her father's designs for Pollux's future.

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Feeling highly irritated, Prince Lotor finishes pulling on his boots. Rising, he pauses to look at the slave still lying chained and naked to his bed before walking out of his room. His father deliberately waited to summon him until he knew Lotor would be occupied. After being blocked by King Cova, he sought a slave girl similar in appearance to the princesses of Pollux and Arus. The fact that the slave didn't want to occupy his bed only provided a small challenge.

Rounding the corner, he approaches the double doors to his father's suite. The armed guards that always protect the king step in front of the doors, one of them demanding, "State your business."

"I was summoned, you fool. Out of my way," Lotor snarls as he pushes past them and opens the doors.

He finds his father sitting in one of his lavish chairs, watching the slave girls dancing for him with the bored detachment one gains from viewing such things on a regular basis. His gaze drifts to him as Lotor approaches and bows, "You sent for me?"

"Yes, Lotor," Zarkon answers as he sits up and with a wave of his hand, dismisses the slave girls from his presence. Once the door closes behind the last girl, he says, "I am placing you in command of Cova's attempt on Arus. He fails, you fail, and you've failed far too often lately. Am I understood?"

Narrowing his eyes on his father, Lotor replies, "Why would Cova's failure be mine?"

"Because I know you," Zarkon answers, his expression shrewd. "I was you once…young, arrogant, and stupid. You think of Arus as yours, so you will stop at nothing to ensure Cova's failure."

Anger courses through Lotor's veins as he glares at his father. However, Zarkon hasn't yet finished as he states, "By throwing you and Cova together, anything you do to circumvent his son's success will reflect upon you. Of course, if they do win against Voltron, you may take the credit. Be prepared to depart with them in the morning."

Turning around without leave, Lotor walks away, his anger threatening to boil over. Before he reaches the door, Zarkon calls out, "Don't be an idiot about this, Lotor. One day you must learn not to let your ego get in the way of getting things done. That is what being a king is all about."

"As you would know," Lotor replies bitterly before slamming through the double doors.

Reaching his own rooms, he bursts through the door then stops abruptly. Spotting the slave still shackled to his bed, an evil grin spreads across his face. Slowly stripping away his clothing, he approaches her, his pace stalking, ignoring the fear in the slave's eyes as he says, "They will all pay."

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The next morning, Lotor walks naked out of his bathroom and heads for his closet. After returning to his room, it took several hours to work out the frustrations created by his visit with his father. In fact, he only managed an hour of sleep before being awaken by one of the king's personal slaves, reminding him of his duties for the day. The temptation to send the slave back to his father in pieces filled him, but he restrained himself.

The door to his room opens, revealing the two slaves that care for his things. Glancing over at the bloody body in the bed, he orders, "Get rid of that and inform King Cova that I will accompany him and his family back to Pollux."

He doesn't wait for their answer as he walks into his closet to dress for the day. His plans haven't changed, only the execution of them. Arus and its princess will still be his. Cova and his foolish family is merely a nice distraction in the meantime.

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Approaching the ships leaving for Pollux, Lotor notes the decidedly unhappy expression on the King of Pollux's face before he notices Lotor's arrival and masks it. His eyes move over the remaining company, finding Princess Romelle standing behind the king, unable to mask her happiness at the sight of him. Her annoying little brother stands next to her. Smiling at them all in greeting, Lotor says, "You were informed of King Zarkon's wishes?"

"Yes," Cova answers, anger radiating from him, but says nothing else.

His eyes move back to the princess and Lotor says, "Perhaps Princess Romelle would care to travel with me? I would love to hear more about Pollux and the people."

Noting the excited expression in her gaze, Lotor feels triumph filling his veins. What an idiotic, naive girl. Conquering her will be easy. Thinking his unexpected trip to Pollux will be more entertaining than he first realized, his irritation spikes when he hears, "Can I come too?"

Looking down at the young prince, Lotor has everything he can do not to glare at him. The last thing he wants is for this boy to bother him the entire flight. However, if he says no, he knows Princess Romelle won't be permitted to join him either. Maybe he can fob the boy off on his lieutenant to keep him busy during the flight so he can work on the sister. Forcing himself to remain pleasant, he replies, "I don't see why not."

Prince Bandor turns to his father, "Please Father, may we travel with Prince Lotor?"

He has to fight not to smile as King Cova reluctantly agrees, "Yes." The king grabs onto his daughter's arm and squeezes while saying, "I'll see you both on Pollux."

Resisting the urge to laugh at the king's nonverbal warning to his daughter, Lotor says, "I'll take good care of them, Cova."

"I'm sure you will, Prince Lotor," Cova replies, his gaze stern with warning.

Ignoring him, Lotor holds his arm out to Princess Romelle, "Come, my dear. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can begin our journey."

As she takes his elbow, Lotor leads them away from King Cova and toward his command ship, his mind full of all the possibilities the journey might bring. Reaching his ship, he gives a careless glance at his guests before asking his lieutenant, "Was the message I requested sent?"

"Yes, sire," the Drule guard answers, his inquisitive gaze flickering over the two humans with the prince.

"Good," he replies then directs the guard's attention to boy. "I think Prince Bandor would like a tour of the bridge and gunnery."

An excited look crosses Bandor's face, "Is it like the Polluxian command ships?"

"Why don't you take the tour and see?" replies Lotor, smiling at how easy it is to get rid of the kid.

Nodding enthusiastically, Bandor turns toward the lieutenant, who nods then turns and walks away, with Bandor in tow. When Romelle turns to follow them, Lotor slips his arm around her waist and pulls her in the other direction. "Come, my dear, I have something else I'd like to show you."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to the reviewers. Hoping the story lives up to your expectations.

Mertz

Chapter 3

As Prince Lotor leads her down the hall, Romelle feels an inkling of disquiet. She had been so excited at first when he invited her and Bandor to travel back to Pollux with him. The thought of having hours of his attention, exhilarating. However, she would have liked to join Bandor on his tour. The inner workings of ships have always been fascinating to her. Her old nanny understood her love of all things mechanical. As a child, Romelle ignored the dolls placed in front of her. Instead, she reached for her older brother's toys and would take them apart, to his disgust. With her mother's permission, her nanny arranged for Romelle to spend small amounts of time with her husband in the hanger bay. There, she learned about the ships and even flew them as she became older, when there was less personnel in the area. That was before she left for finishing school and her joy of mechanics was stripped from her. Worthless pursuits like needlepoint and flower arranging occupied her mind instead. Her instructors reminded her over and over again, her place would be to create an atmosphere her husband could relax in, not to solve the problems of the universe. That wasn't her concern.

She'd wanted to return to her love of mechanics upon her return to Pollux. Instead, Romelle ended up with the mundane tasks her mother always performed for her father prior to her death. She hoped to escape that with marriage, praying for a husband who would be a little more understanding of her interests. Those hopes died when Romelle first met the King of Planet Mora. He seemed to be an exact duplicate of her father. Women were to be seen, not heard.

Glancing behind her to find her brother and the lieutenant long gone, Romelle wishes she could have joined her brother. However, given that Lotor is leading her in the opposite direction, a tour of the ship isn't likely to happen for her. His hand slips down to her hip, anchoring her to his side. Uncomfortable but not wanting to offend him by pulling away, Romelle suddenly wishes her father had declined the offer to let them travel on the Doom ship.

Lotor pauses by a door, punches in a code, and then escorts her into the room once the door opens. Finding them alone in a room with rather large furniture, Romelle asks, "What did you want to show me?"

A smile slips across his face, his fangs showing above his thinned lips. Her unease climbing by the moment, Romelle watches him closely as he directs her over to a lounger. He sits beside her, their hips still touching, "Princess Romelle, I thought we could spend the journey getting to know each other better."

"What…what would you like to know?" Fighting against the urge to fidget, Romelle digs her fingers into her skirt and looks at her lap. Something about the way Lotor is looking at her, almost as if she's a delectable dessert he wants to savor, has her ready rise and seek shelter elsewhere.

A finger touches her chin and forces her to look up. He studies her, his head turning to the side then back. Finally, he remarks, "Do you know how much you look like your cousin?"

"What cousin?" Romelle asks, forgetting her anxiety for a moment.

"Princess Allura, of Planet Arus," he answers, his fingers rising to stroke the petal soft skin of her cheek. "You could almost be twins."

"I don't…don't consider her family," Romelle says, her discomfort growing as Lotor continues to touch her. "It's a distant relationship."

His fingers move down her neck and along her collarbone. As they drift down to the décolletage of her dress, Lotor smiles, "How is it that a beautiful woman like you is still unwed?"

"I'm…I'm about to become engaged," she answers, barely able to concentrate as Lotor moves closer and places a kiss on her neck.

He pauses, looks her in the eye, and demands, "Who?"

"King Jerold of Planet Mora."

"That old fool?" Lotor laughs while shaking his head. "Why would you want to marry an old man?"

"It is an arrangement between King Jerold and my father," Romelle explains, her hands still digging into her skirts to hide her nervousness.

"Poor thing," he replies, though his tone lacks sincerity.

His hand moves around her back to her hip. Pulling her tight against him, Lotor whispers, "Perhaps I should give you something to remember before you go to your cold marriage bed."

Before she can answer, Lotor presses his lips to hers then pushes her back against the lounge chair until he is lying on top of her. His tongue forces its way into her mouth, ravaging her. Pure revulsion goes through Romelle. This is nothing like her simple, girlish daydreams. Instead of her toes curling in delight, she wants to throw up. Placing her hands against Lotor's shoulders, she tries to push him back, but he doesn't move. Instead, his hand moves up to cup her breast through her gown, leaving Romelle ready to scream.

"My, my…"

Lotor releases her and stands. Sitting up, Romelle makes sure her gown is in place before looking across the room to find the old witch, Haggar moving toward them. Both were so distracted, they didn't hear the door open. She laughs, an evil sounding cackle, as she nears them.

"What are you doing here, Haggar?"

The anger in Lotor's voice scares her in a way Romelle never thought possible. The witch's eyes gleam a bright yellow as she answers, "King Zarkon sent me along to curb any…impulsive…notions that may come to you."

She sits on the chair next to them and eyes Romelle with distaste, "I've been relegated to a chaperone, how degrading."

"Your presence is unneeded," Lotor snaps, his fists clenching by his side.

"I think my presence opportune," she replies, a malicious smile forming. "We wouldn't want to ruin King Zarkon's plans because you lack impulse control."

Romelle keeps looking between the pair, the tension in the room rising to unbearable levels. While she finds the witch's presence disturbing, her timing is perfect. She should have listened to her father. Prince Lotor is no gentleman and certainly not someone she wants to spend any more time alone with. As Lotor continues to glare at Haggar, she clears her throat and stands, "I should join Bandor."

"Yes, dearie, you should," Haggar responds, ignoring the growling sound coming out of the prince.

Her staff hits the floor and the door to the room opens. A guard steps inside, "You called?"

"Yes, escort Princess Romelle to the ship's command center. She wishes to join her brother on his tour."

"As you wish." He gestures Romelle to the door, "If you'll follow me."

Relief fills Romelle as she follows the guard out the door. As it closes behind her, she hears the sound of Lotor's voice raised in anger. Shuddering, she quickens her pace to keep up with the guard. No matter what, she must make sure not end up alone with Lotor again. The excitement of adventure gone, Romelle can't wait to get home to Pollux.

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Planet Arus:

Sitting on her sodalis vitae's lap, Princess Allura closes her eyes and enjoys the feel of his arms around her. She has come to enjoy what she calls their afternoon cuddle time. Before dinner, Allura always goes to Keith's office and curls up on his lap for a few minutes before they walk together to the dining room for dinner. The past few months have been amazing. Keith's acceptance of her place in his life completely changed his personality. She has learned so much about him, including some of the sensitive places on his body. A deep sigh of content escapes her and she presses her lips against his throat, just under his ear. His arms tighten around her even as he warns, "Allura…"

Not feeling even the least bit contrite, she kisses him again. He shivers under her. Allura pulls back and smiles brightly at the heat visible in his gaze. Reaching up, she brushes his hair back from his forehead, "What? I didn't do anything."

He snorts in derision then leans forward and places an innocent kiss on her lips. His hands move to her hips and he forces her to rise. Keith stands and glares down at her, "You know what that does to me."

"Yes," she answers, smiling unabashedly.

"Evil woman, you just like to make me suffer," he complains, stepping past her to walk toward the office door.

Catching up to him, Allura takes his arm and they walk down the hallway together, "That I am. However, you can't blame me too much. I've been waiting patiently for quite some time."

"A couple of months isn't quite some time-" Keith starts to say.

"May I remind you, I've been waiting for almost fifteen years," Allura interjects while squeezing his arm.

Leaning up, she kisses his cheek to take the sting out of her words. Another sigh escapes her, "You wouldn't have to suffer at all if you would just marry me. We could skip dinner then and spend the evening together instead."

"You know I'm not ready for that, Allura."

The quiet tone of his voice leaves Allura cringing. She hasn't pushed him too much, allowing Keith the space he requested. Sometimes though, she just can't resist. Damn her impatient nature! Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, Allura slides her hand down his arm then intertwines their fingers, and apologizes, "I'll try to behave and be more patient."

Before she can react, Keith stops and pushes her against the wall. His mouth descends upon hers, kissing her in a way that leaves Allura weak in the knees, and melting in his arms. The only thing that keeps her from sliding to the floor is his arm around her waist. He breaks the kiss, pulls her back onto her feet, and directs them down the hall once more. Feeling like she'll never recover as she tries to walk straight, Allura asks, "What was that for?"

"If I'm going to suffer during dinner, you're going to join me," Keith answers, a devilish gleam in his eyes when he looks down at her.

"Evil man," she complains while slapping his arm, relieved that she didn't make him angry.

Laughter bursts out of Keith as they near the dining room. Stopping, he leans down and kisses her cheek before responding, "I guess that makes us a perfect couple."

"That it does," Allura replies as she smiles, a warm, happy feeling filling her heart.

The alarm systems erupt, ceasing their conversation. Keith takes her hand and they turn around and run to the control room together. Entering, they find Coran at the console surrounded by Lance, Pidge, and Hunk. Rushing forward, Keith demands, "What's the alarm?"

"We're receiving a message from King Cova of Planet Pollux," the advisor replies. "They want us to surrender or fight."

"Who is Cova?" asks Lance.

"He is a descendant of Planet Arus, distantly related to Allura," Coran replies while turning around in the chair to face them. "His forefather was a son of one of the first kings of Arus."

"What?" asks Allura, her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"Legends tells that the king had two sons. The eldest was ruthless and cruel. He couldn't wait for the old king to die so he could take over and rule. The youngest wanted to maintain the peace. The king, foreseeing the pain his eldest son would inflict upon the people of Arus, banished him to Planet Pollux and left the throne to the younger son."

"Bet that didn't go over too well," Pidge remarks, while adjusting his glasses.

"No, it did not. He believed the throne of Arus his and charged his children and his children's children with reacquiring it," Coran says. "Planet Pollux passes near Arus every one hundred years. On every pass, one of his descendants has attacked Arus in retribution. Thanks to Voltron, they have always failed. I should have anticipated this since the pass is near."

"You can be forgiven for allowing it to slip your mind," Keith says as he steps near the monitor and stares up at the planet on display. "I don't think we should wait for them to come to us. We should take the fight to them."

"No."

Keith turns around to find Allura shaking her head at him. She steps forward and places a hand on his cheek, "We need to seek a peaceful solution. There has been too much fighting already."

He arches an eyebrow at her, "I know you want peace, Allura. However, sometimes you need to fight. I'd rather take this battle to Planet Pollux than to allow them to come here and destroy all that we have worked so hard to rebuild."

Allura opens her mouth to disagree, but Coran interrupts her, "I agree with Keith, that you should take this to Planet Pollux."

Shocked, Allura turns on Coran only for him to smile at her, which silences her. He adds, "However, I don't believe you should start a fight the minute you land. Allura, you are right as well. We need to seek a peaceful accord first."

"Don't you think the sight of Voltron flying at them will start one?" Lance says while rolling his eyes.

"You won't be going as Voltron," Coran says before he returns to the command chair. Sitting back in the chair, he looks at Keith, "Fly as the lions and hide them on the planet where you can easily reach them if things go bad."

"I don't think walking up to the front of the castle and asking to speak to King Cova will work either," Keith replies with a shake of his head. "We'll be in prison cells long before we can get back to the lions."

"You won't do that either. You'll need to find a way into the castle," Coran says, his eyes gleaming with humor, "and evaluate the situation before approaching the king."

"Surveillance," Allura says, smiling at the crafty old man.

Coran smiles back at her in answer. She looks over at Keith as he agrees, "Very well. Everyone, go get changed into the camouflage gear Pidge created last month. We'll need the reflective surface of the material to blend into whatever environment we're going into."

"FINALLY!"

Everyone looks at Pidge, who tries not to blush with embarrassment at his outburst and fails. Pushing his glasses up onto his nose, he says, "I've been waiting forever to do a live test with this stuff."

"We're testing it today," Keith replies, his gaze serious. "You better hope it doesn't fail."

The youngest member of the group snorts in disdain, "Ye of little faith."

Resisting the urge to smile at the disgust showing on Pidge's face, Allura look back to find Keith studying her. Reading his mind, she arches an eyebrow at him, "Don't even think about it. I'm going."

He sighs then orders, "Stay close to me at all times."

"Don't I always?" Allura replies with a smile.

He only shakes his head at her. "Everyone get changed, we meet back here in ten minutes and head for Pollux."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Planet Pollux:

Romelle breathes out a sigh of relief as the door to the ship opens. On the tarmac below, her father and his ministers prostrate before Lotor as he steps out in front of her and the rest of his harem. The rest of the trip had been uncomfortable with the obvious tension between Lotor and Haggar. True to her word, the witch never left them alone. Bandor, oblivious to the tension as children always are, filled the silence with his continuous questions about the ship and life on Planet Doom. Lotor answered all of his questions, but the way his eyes kept raking over her, left Romelle feeling dirty and desperately in need of a bath.

To distract the boy, Lotor called in his harem to dance for them. She found their overtly sexual movements and skimpy attire insulting. Bandor couldn't stop staring at them. He asked almost as many questions about the harem girls as he did about the ship while on their tour. Romelle can still feel the heat in her cheeks from one of Lotor's answers. It was wholly inappropriate knowledge to share with a boy Bandor's age. Now those same girls follow behind her. Another slight. They shouldn't be anywhere near someone of her station. Lifting her chin, she follows Lotor and Haggar down the ramp and listens to her father and Lotor speak of Avok as a robeast.

"Avok was a magnificent subject," Lotor informs the king as they walk toward the second ship carrying the robeast prince. "He absorbed over ten thousand units of thermal laser rays that transformed him into a super robeast. Avok is now faster and stronger than Voltron. Victory shall be yours."

"Arus doesn't stand a chance," Cova says, with his fist in the air and a victorious gleam in his eyes.

Lotor simply smirks. The sight of his smile leaves Romelle nauseated. Stepping forward, she touches her father's arm to gain his attention. "I'm a little tired after the flight. May I be excused so I might rest before dinner?"

"Of course, daughter," Cova answers, but his eyes rake over her as if searching for something.

Refusing to be intimidated, she ignores the sensation that she did something wrong in her father's eyes. Deciding to end his observation, Romelle leans up to kiss his cheek, and then turns and walks away. She's shocked to find Bandor at her side. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, she leads him into the castle.

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Watching Planet Pollux growing in size on his viewer, Keith calls out, "Even though the night sky will give us some cover, everyone keep the lions at supersonic speed. We go in fast and dirty via the Lazara trench then leave the lions in Lazara Lake. This should block the lions from their radar. As agreed, we'll use the aqueduct system from Lazara Lake to access the castle. Anybody have any questions?"

"Yeah, why didn't we eat dinner before we left?"

Hunk's question has Keith smiling despite the tension of the situation. Flipping screens so he can see the big man, he replies, "Nanny promised to have dinner waiting when we return. You'll have to settle for a meal pack for now."

"I wouldn't call that a meal," he replies, but Keith can see him opening up said meal pack on the monitor.

Shaking his head at him, Keith flips back the main monitor to Planet Pollux. Entering the atmosphere, he calls out, "Hang on everyone, the ride is about to get bumpy."

As the lions fly through the atmosphere, Keith feels the vibrations from entry. When the sky clears, he declares, "We only have a minute or two before their systems detect us, get to that trench now!"

Soon the rocky sides of the trench fill Keith's monitor screen. A moment later, he spots the lake and orders, "Everyone, dive."

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Sitting in his appointed chamber, Lotor drinks blood red wine as one of his slaves rubs his shoulders. Light music fills the air and the rest of the women dance before him, their movements rhythmic and seductive. His attention isn't on them though. With his head turned to the side, Lotor watches Haggar's crystal ball. Within the dark crystal, the images of King Cova and his ministers holding a private meeting shines. The king smiles and toasts the other ministers as he remarks, "The surprise attack on Arus is planned for tomorrow morning. I've already arranged it with Prince Lotor. We leave at dawn. Once Avok achieves victory over Voltron and Arus, we will have proven our worth to King Jerold."

At the other men's nods, he continues, "After, I'll push to complete the alliance contract. Once Jerold and Romelle are married, I'll be able to call on his forces to overtake Doom. Then nothing will stand in our way of taking over the Denubian Galaxy!"

Glancing over at Haggar, Lotor remarks, "What would Father think of Cova's plan to overthrow him?"

"Fools are never satisfied with what they have and always reach for the unattainable."

Narrowing his eyes at the implied insult, Lotor replies, "Yes, Cova is overstretching."

A high-pitched cackle of amusement escapes the witch. His own irritation growing, Lotor says, "I think Father would agree that Cova needs to be taken care of."

"Yes, he would."

The regret in her tone has Lotor gritting his teeth to contain his anger. Glaring at her, he demands, "What are you so unhappy about?"

She watches him for a moment as if considering her answer. When she is ready, Haggar says, "Your father hoped, that with Arus out of the way, you'd find something else to occupy your thoughts."

"Arus, and its princess, are mine to conquer." Lotor utters each word with force, his eyes flashing with fury.

"Perhaps," is the witch's only answer.

Shaking his head at her, he goes back to the main topic. "I think we let the Avok robeast have a go at Voltron. If he does manage to defeat him, we'll move in and take the rest out."

Nodding, Haggar removes her hands from the crystal ball. As the image of Cova and his men disappears, she rises from her seat, "I'll contact Zarkon and notify him of the change of plans."

Turning his attention back to his women, Lotor watches their movements for a moment before rising as well. While he'd love to spend the rest of the evening being pleasured, he needs to ensure his men are ready for the morning. By tomorrow afternoon, he will have Cova's head on a pike and Allura in his bed. Lotor's thoughts slip back to the other princess. Romelle… He has never been known to waste an opportunity. The thought of having both women in his bed, seeing to his pleasures, goes through his mind. Perhaps, he'll keep her around.

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Standing by the open double windows, Romelle breathes out a sigh of relief while running a brush through her hair. Though most of the night sky remains hidden by clouds, the fresh air is a welcome respite after the oppressive air of Planet Doom. She finishes brushing her hair then walks over to set the brush down on her dressing table. She feels so much better after a bath. The note she sent down to her father, begging off dinner, also helped her anxiety. There's no way she can sit next to Lotor through dinner again. Just the thought of him makes her feel unclean. The more space she can keep between her and Lotor, the better. Romelle's eyes drop to the fleet of attack ships waiting to leave for Arus in the morning and she frowns. More and more, she is beginning to think this plan to overtake Arus is a bad one.

"Romelle!"

Her youngest brother runs into the room and stops beside her, "Are you sick? Father said you couldn't come down to dinner."

"I'm fine, Bandor," she responds, carefully picking her words. Her brother is far too enamored of Lotor for her taste. "I'm just tired from the trip and have no wish to spend the evening entertaining our guests."

"But Lotor is great!" Bandor says, his hands waving in the air with his enthusiasm. "He promised me a ship of my own to command once Avok defeats Voltron."

Taking him by his shoulders, Romelle stares down into his earnest face, "You can't trust everything Lotor says, Bandor."

"Why?"

The expression of confusion on Bandor's face leaves Romelle wishing she hadn't spoken. Sighing in defeat, she moves back to the window, "He isn't like Avok. He has no honor."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I have witnessed it," she says, staring out at the night sky without really seeing it.

She forgets sometimes that Bandor is in that strange age between boy and man. Though she still considers him a boy, the man portion of his mind comes roaring through, "Did he touch you in a way he shouldn't have?"

"He kissed me in a way he shouldn't have, that is all." Thankful that she didn't have to lie, Romelle turns back to face him, "But it wasn't a way that a true gentleman behaves."

Bandor waves a hand in dismissal, "He is Prince Lotor and a Drule."

"That doesn't excuse bad behavior," Romelle declares with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

A bright light fills the room, drawing her attention. Turning back to the window, Romelle gasps with surprise at the large, bright star visible between the clouds, "Look, it's Planet Arus! Isn't it beautiful!"

A loud, derisive snort is Bandor's only reply. Glaring down at her brother, Romelle is about to berate him but stops when they hear a loud clanging sound out in the hallway. Pulling out his sword, Bandor goes racing out into the hallway. Following him, Romelle stops just outside the door to find her brother holding his sword to another person, or at least, a person's head. His body blends in with the surrounding wall next to an old suit of armor that decorates the area.

Touching her brother's shoulder to gain his attention, she asks, "Bandor, what's happening?"

She hears another female voice coming from down the hallway, "Pidge, are you all right?"

Looking at the woman dressed in a gray suit as she stops in front of her, Romelle's eyes widen with surprise, and she gasps. Three other adult men, also dressed in gray suits, stop around the lady, one stepping in front of her in a protective stance. Remembering what Lotor said during the flight, she asks, "Are you Princess Allura?"

"They could be twin sisters!" says the biggest of the men.

The one still being held at sword point by Bandor says, "I'm glad I'm wearing my glasses!"

The woman who could almost be her twin sister smiles, places a hand on the man's shoulder as she steps around him, "Yes, I am Princess Allura. Who are you?"

"I'm Princess Romelle," she replies. Directing their attention to her brother, she adds, "This is my brother, Prince Bandor." Romelle looks around at the other men, "Who are you?"

Allura takes control, pointing to the one Bandor is still pointing a sword at, "That is Pidge." She moves around, touching each on the arm as she says their names, "This is Lance and Hunk." Stopping next to the tall, commanding figure who continues to study them closely, she finishes, "This is the Commander of the Voltron Force and my sodalis vitae, Keith Kogane."

"Your what?" Romelle asks, confused by the term.

"My soul mate." Allura tilts her head to the side as if curious, "You don't have soul mates?"

"No, we don't." Curious, she steps forward and reaches out to touch the fabric of Allura's suit, "What is this?"

"It's a camouflage suit. Pidge invented it," Allura explains and presses something along her wrist. Instantly the suit takes on the color of the wall behind her, hiding her, except for her head, which is exposed.

Before Romelle can ask any more questions, Bandor races forward with his sword raised, "You're all my prisoners now!"

Enraged, the one called Hunk yells and charges him, knocking his sword out of his hand. Raising an arm in alarm, Romelle calls out, "Please! Stop! Don't hurt him!"

Hunk picks up the sword and points it at Bandor. Turning pleading eyes on her cousin, Romelle whispers, "Please."

"Hold, Hunk."

The command comes not from her distant cousin, but her mate. He steps nearer to Allura and sighs, "Enough fighting."

Allura smiles up at him and leans into him as she turns back to face them, "Yes, this old feud has caused enough unhappiness. Peace must start here."

"Who says we want peace?"

Her smile doesn't waver. Instead, Allura bends down near Bandor and says, "My old advisor taught me, a monarch's first responsibility is to their people, not to their own desires. Is a war with Arus good for the people of Pollux?"

Romelle notes the obstinate expression on her brother's face and drops her hand on his shoulder to stop him from being rude in his reply, "They're right, Bandor. Enough fighting. It isn't worth it, not even to settle an old and ridiculous feud."

He shakes his head at her, "Father will never agree to it."

"We have to try anyway," Romelle insists while squeezing his shoulder.

Ignoring her, Bandor turns back on the others, "What are you doing here? Why have you come?"

"We received your father's challenge," Allura says. "My poor people are just starting to recover from Doom's rein of tyranny. I can't allow another fight on my planet that will destroy all they've worked so hard to rebuild."

"Father didn't send you any challenge," Bandor declares as if Allura is lying to them. "It would ruin his surprise plans!"

"Someone sent it," Keith says while taking a step closer to his mate. "If not your father, who?"

Before anyone can say anything else, an alarm rings through the castle. Frightened, Romelle turns to look back into her room only to have Pidge race past her and look out her window. He races back to them to declare, "They know we're here. The courtyard is filled with soldiers!"

"There they are!"

"Capture the princess, kill the rest!"

The group turns as one to find a squad of Doom troops behind them, filling the hallway. Romelle watches them pull out their laser guns and point them right at her and the others. She gasps in surprise as Bandor tackles her back into her room just before the troops fire. Regaining her balance, Romelle looks out the door to find the troops racing past them and after the Arusian team. Praying they get away, she feels Bandor moving past her then down the hall in the opposite direction. Knowing his destination, Romelle follows.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Romelle and Bandor reach the main hall to find their father standing with a group of his advisors. Surrounding them is several guards. Everyone is talking at once, the noise almost deafening. Bandor is ready to yell for his father's attention, but Romelle places a hand on his arm to stop him. King Cova stops the discussion by yelling at the men, "I want them found and I want them found now!"

The guards salute him then turn and leave the hall. Romelle cannot hold Bandor back any longer. He pushes past an advisor, "Father!"

He turns and looks at them as if surprised to see his children there. Getting past it, he says, "The Voltron Force has dared to come here!"

"They were in the hallway near Romelle's room," Bandor says. "The Doom troops tried to kill them with laser guns!"

Hearing a commotion outside, their father pushes past them and runs out of the hall. Bandor follows. Unable to stop herself, Romelle follows her father and brother. They reach the long stairs that lead down to the courtyard in time to watch the lions fly up into the night sky to form Voltron.

Impressed despite himself, Bandor calls out, "That's neat!"

Their father gives him a disapproving glare before racing down the steps while ordering, "Release Avok!"

Romelle looks over as the casket holding her eldest brother is released from the Doom ship. It grows exponentially in size until Avok's fist explodes through the top. The rest of the coffin blows away and Avok rises to his feet. If she didn't know that was her brother, Romelle would never believe it. The bright red locks she has always loved are gone. A spike helmet covers his head. Where his warm brown eyes once were, soulless, white orbs stare out. Hard armor covers the now blue and scaly skin of his body. Covering her mouth in horror, Romelle feels tears stinging her eyes. Why did they do this? For a silly old feud? Oh…Avok!

She gasps in fear as Voltron lands in the courtyard next to him. Evil laughter escapes Avok then he says in a voice Romelle doesn't recognize, "Voltron. At last."

He whips out two swords from his behind his back and holds them high in the air. Joining the ends together, he twirls them in one hand above his head. Voltron steps back and forms his own sword, the two lion heads coming together. Avok's sword hits against it twice before he knocks it out of Voltron's hand. A smaller five-studded blade appears in Voltron's hand and it flies at her brother, knocking his sword out of his hand. They charge each other.

Grabbing onto her father's arm, Romelle begs, "Please! Stop this!"

He shakes off her hand, "That's it, Avok! Destroy him!"

The two giants wrestle for position until Avok gets a grip on Voltron and throws him over his shoulder. Voltron crashes into the ground. Avok yells his victory. He approaches Voltron, as the robot lies prone, grabbing him by the top of his head.

"This is it!" Bandor pumps his fist in the air with victory. "He's going to defeat Voltron!"

As Avok's free fist rises into the air to deliver the final blow, Romelle shakes her head while covering her mouth. Before his fist can come down, fire breathes out of Voltron's mouth and into Avok's face, temporarily blinding him. Voltron rises to his feet and charges Avok. They wrestle for position until Avok pushes Voltron into the outer wall. Romelle can see the wall around the two giants cracking until it breaks entirely and both fall through it. They roll down the embankment and out of sight, but she can hear when they land in the lake below.

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From his seat on the bridge of his command ship, Lotor watches the two giants wrestle. He smirks to himself, his plan worked better than he thought it would. Like he knew they would, the Voltron Force had fallen for his fake message from King Cova and came to Pollux. As an unexpected bonus, he and Haggar caught that fool, Cova, plotting against Zarkon. He now has the excuse he needs to destroy him and take Pollux without directly disobeying his father and earning his wrath.

Lotor sits forward in his seat, his attention riveted on the screen. He watches Avok shove Voltron through a stone wall and they end up rolling together down the hill and into Lake Lazara. They break apart just before they splash into the water. Voltron gets to his feet first and sends over an electronic pulse that electrocutes Avok until he is on his knees. Snorting in disgust, Lotor gestures to the screen, "That idiot will be in pieces on the ground at this rate."

Turning to his lieutenant, he orders, "Enough of this! Take them all down!"

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Listening to her father yell encouragement to her older brother, Romelle glimpses Voltron rising when his head and chest appear. He sends an electronic pulse at her brother as he rises, sending him down to his knees and out of sight once more. Racing after her father, Romelle grabs onto his arm to try again, "Please Father, stop this!"

His infuriated gaze falls on her, "Avok will avenge our family honor!"

"What honor?" demands Romelle as tears stream out of her eyes. "That didn't happen to us, but a distant relative. You're trying to kill a girl, a girl that looks like me, for something she had no part of!"

Cova raises his hand to slap her, but stops when Bandor steps in front of her. The sound of an explosion draws their attention. Romelle's eyes widen with shock as they watch Doom fighters attack both Avok and Voltron. She shifts her gaze to her father as he calls Lotor a foul name and runs for a laser cannon. Looking back at her older brother, she watches Avok destroy two Doom fighters before another one shoots him in the eyes. As he drops to his knees, cannon fire from Lotor's command ship hits him in the chest. Romelle barely notices the scream that escapes her as Avok falls back into the water, out of sight, and doesn't rise again. Tears run down her face and she shakes her head in denial.

"YOU BASTARD, LOTOR!"

Her attention is forced onto her father as he turns the laser cannon toward Lotor's command ship. Cova only fires once before multiple blasts from the command ship strike the cannon and it explodes.

"NO! FATHER!"

Romelle races toward the burning cannon only for Doom soldiers to grab her arms and force her toward an awaiting ship. Struggling against her captors, she hears Bandor behind her, "NO! ROMELLE!"

Looking back, she screams when a Doom soldier fires on her only remaining brother, hitting Bandor in the knee. She watches him fall to the ground before she is forced into the Doom ship and the door closes.

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From his command chair within Voltron, Commander Keith watches the Avok robeast fall into the water after taking cannon fire to the chest. Shaking his head at the waste of a life, he turns his attention back to the Doom fighters attacking them. He uses Red Lion to crush one as it tries to fly by then sends ion darts at another. Spotting the Doom command ship heading into space, Keith pushes forward on the controls and starts after it.

"Keith! Stop!"

Hearing Allura, he hits a button, so she appears on his side screen. Noticing the tears in her eyes, he asks, "What happened?"

Pidge's voice comes through next, "I tapped into Pollux's security system. We've been watching some of the cameras in the courtyard…"

Before he can finish, Allura cries, "I saw the troops take Romelle. She's on that ship! If we attack, we risk killing her."

Swearing under his breath, Keith pulls back on the controls and ends his pursuit. It goes against everything within him to let Lotor walk away, given his continued pursuit of Allura. But, he can't risk an innocent person's life, even to ensure the safety of the woman he loves. Reaching forward, Keith hits another button, "Deactivating Voltron. Let's land in the courtyard and see what we can do to help."

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Dragged out of the fighter ship and down the hallways of the command ship, Romelle can't stop quivering with fear. With her father and older brother dead, who can save her? They soon reach the bridge. As she is pulled through the door, she spots Lotor speaking with his witch. Haggar barely glances her way before turning and walking away, leaving Romelle to her fate. The Prince of Doom turns to face her, a wicked smile slipping across his face, leaving his fangs showing. Shuddering with fear, Romelle tries to pull free of the guards.

Lotor's laughter echoes around the room. Looking back at him, Romelle tries in vain to step back as he approaches. He takes her by the arm, and looks back at his lieutenant to order, "I do not want to be disturbed until we reach Doom. Understood?"

"Yes, Highness."

His fingers dig cruelly into her upper arm as he drags her off the bridge and back down the hall. Digging in her feet, Romelle pulls back, trying to stop their progress. Annoyed, Lotor stops, slaps her hard across the face, and then continues to drag her down the hall. Stunned, Romelle tastes the blood flowing into her mouth from her sliced lip. She is barely cognizant of the rest of the trip to Lotor's apartments.

He releases her to turn back to the door to lock it. More afraid than she has ever been in her life, Romelle takes several steps backward. With her hand to her swollen lip, she tries to put as much space between them as possible. When Lotor turns back, he smiles at her, as if he finds her attempt to escape humorous. He rips off his gloves as he approaches her, closing the distance. His weapon belt is dropped on the floor next, followed by his shirt. He pauses long enough to bend over and takes his boots off.

Shaking her head, Romelle continues to back up until the back of her legs strike something and she almost falls back. Glancing over her shoulder, she finds a large bed behind her. Panic engulfs her. Looking back, she gasps to find Lotor naked in front of her. His lips curl into a sneering smile. He reaches for her, "To the victor, goes the spoils."

Romelle screams in terror as his long, blue fingers curl around her arm.

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Sitting on the ground as one of the castle guards tends to his injury, Prince Bandor fights against the tears stinging his eyes. His father and brother are dead, his sister taken. He should have listened to Romelle. The truth of what Lotor is, which he didn't want to believe, is permanently etched in his mind. God only knows what's happening to Romelle.

Wiping at the tears as they finally escape and slide down his cheeks, Bandor looks up when he hears the roar of a mechanical lion. He watches them land in the courtyard and looks over to find the troops looking for direction. With his brother and father gone, there is no one to give them orders. There is no one to rule and protect Pollux. The people…who will protect the people?

Determination fills him. He will protect the people. As the only remaining child of King Cova, the responsibility now falls to him. Standing, Bandor holds his hand out to the soldiers, indicating they should stay. Limping his way over toward the lions, he watches the pilots descend. The commander walks over to Princess Allura and wraps a protective arm around her before they turn and walk together to face him. Stopping, Bandor waits for them to reach him.

Allura stops in front of him, her eyes red from tears, "I know they took Romelle."

Feeling his chin quivering, Bandor barely manages a nod before speech bursts out of him, "My father and brother are dead!"

"I know," she replies, pulling away from her mate to kneel in front of him. Reaching out, she cups his cheek, "I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose your family."

"You lost your whole family, didn't you?" Bandor asks, feeling tears stinging his eyes again.

"Yes," Allura answers while pulling her hand away. "My father's advisor, Coran, raised me. He taught me how to rule my people and to be a fair and just ruler."

Bandor nods, his ability to speak gone for fear of the emotion choking him breaking free. Closing his eyes, he fights against the tears slipping down his cheeks despite his best efforts to keep them back. He is engulfed in Allura's arms the next moment. Sucking in a deep breath, he stutters, "I…I need…to…to save…Romelle."

"We'll help you, Prince Bandor."

Opening his eyes, Bandor looks up to find the Commander of the Voltron Force staring down at him, compassion in his gaze. As Allura releases him, Keith reaches down to squeeze his shoulder and repeats, "We'll help you. We'll do everything in our power to get Romelle back."

As dawn begins, with the bright Polluxian sun shining down on them, hope, hope for his sister, starts in his chest and expands until he truly believes him. Looking up at the other men to find them nodding, Bandor brushes the tears from his face and nods back to them. Keith gives him an encouraging smile and declares, "From now on, Planet Pollux and Planet Arus stand together. And together, we will save Princess Romelle from Lotor and Doom."

End, Episode 1.


	6. Chapter 6 - Episode 2

Thanks to all those who reviewed, hope everyone is enjoying the story.

I make no claims to Voltron or any WEP properties.

Episode 2: A Friend in Need.

Chapter 6

Stepping out of the launch vehicle, Keith waits until Allura's launch arrives and approaches. His heart constricts at the redness of her eyes and the tears still sliding down her cheeks. Reaching for her, he cups her cheek and wipes at the tears with his thumb, "It will be all right, Allura."

She steps into him, coming to rest under his chin. Keith barely hears her words, "You know what Lotor is doing to her."

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Keith whispers, "I know."

As the other launch vehicles arrive, he rubs her arms in an attempt to comfort and steps back, "Let's get up to the control room. Coran is waiting for us."

Nodding, Allura wipes at her cheeks as she heads for her bar. Keith watches her until it takes her up and out of his sight.

"How's she doing?"

Looking over at Lance, the commander sighs, "She's taking it hard."

"Yeah, we saw," Pidge says.

Gesturing the other men to their bars, Keith steps over to his and is pulled up to the control room. Running out of the launch, he finds Allura waiting for him. She rushes him. Wrapping his arms around her, Keith looks up at Coran as the dais is lowered to ask, "Anything?"

The advisor can only shake his head. His concerned gaze falls on Allura as she begins to sob.

Tightening his grip on his mate, Keith looks over at the other men. They look completely helpless in the face of Allura's sorrow. Taking pity on them, he orders, "Why don't you all get something to eat and head for bed." They nod to him then slowly walk out of the control room.

Allura's fingers dig into the muscles of his back, returning his attention to her. Rubbing her back in a soothing pattern, Keith whispers into her ear, "We'll find a way to get Romelle back."

"I don't…don't…want to be alone."

She pulls back to look up at him, her eyes awash with tears, "Stay with me."

Keith doesn't answer her right away. Instead, he looks over her head to Coran. The advisor doesn't speak. He gazes down on the woman he raised as his daughter and simply nods. Looking back at his mate, Keith nods then pulls her back into his arms for a hug. Forcing Allura to move with him, he heads for the door while saying, "Come on, my love. Let's go to your room. We both need some rest."

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Feeling movement beside her, Romelle remains as still as possible. The last thing she needs is for Lotor to return his attention to her. Relief fills her when the movement ends with him rising and walking away. She listens to him moving around the room, dressing again she guesses. Several minutes pass before the movement stops. Sensing his presence near the bed, Romelle forces her eyes closed tight and tries to keep her breathing even, even though panic is filling her veins. Suddenly, she hears a derisive snort followed by, "Coward. You don't have even half the spirit that your cousin, Princess Allura, has."

Forcing herself to turn over despite her fear, Romelle finds Prince Lotor fully dressed and standing with his arms crossed in front of him as he stares down at her. His disdain for her blatant, between his gaze and the curl of his lip. Lotor shakes his head at her lack of a response and drops his arms, "We arrive on Doom. You have a choice to make. Join my harem and be my personal slave."

Finding her voice, Romelle tries to keep from quivering as she asks, "Or?"

A sinister smile slips across Lotor's lips before he answers, "Join the other slaves."

Turning away, Romelle replies, "I'd rather join the other slaves."

"Fool."

She listens to Lotor walk away. The door to the room opens, and she hears, "Get her dressed and take her to the cells. Status, political prisoner."

The sound of the door closing reaches her. She gasps when a hand grabs her shoulder and pulls her across the bed. Looking up to find a Doom soldier, Romelle grabs onto the blanket and holds it in front to cover her nudeness. He smirks then orders, "Get up and dress yourself, or I'll dress you. Which way do you want it?"

Pulling her arm away, Romelle rises slowly. Giving the guard the most imperious look she can muster, she orders, "Turn around."

"I don't think so. You have ten seconds to make a decision."

With tears of frustration and shame stinging her eyes, Romelle turns away and picks up her dress. Trying to keep a hold of the blanket to keep what little dignity she has left, she tries to pull on the dress. She soon realizes that it is impossible to do both. Releasing her hold on the blanket, Romelle yanks the dress over her head and pulls it down as fast as she can. She keeps her gaze to the ground as she reaches behind her to fasten it.

She ignores the quiet laughter of the guard as she finishes pulling on her shoes. There seems to be no end to the humiliation. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Romelle stands as still as possible, dreading what will come next.

"Follow me."

Looking up, she watches the guard walk toward the door. Afraid not to obey, Romelle follows him across the room and out the door. They walk down the halls together and to the back loading dock. The ship shudders during the landing, Romelle barely able to keep her balance. As the large double doors open to reveal the tarmac, she gasps in pain as the guard suddenly grabs her by the arm, his grip painful. He drags her down the platform, past a waiting squad of guards and into the castle. They walk several minutes more, down into the deepest portions of the castle until the sounds of people moaning and crying reaches Romelle's ears.

They stop at the entrance for the prison area long enough for the guard to register her. The way the other guard looks her over makes Romelle's skin crawl. Her guard gives her arm a wicked pull and they start down another hallway and into the cellblocks. Looking through the bars of various cells, she feels her fear climbing. The few prisoners she can see through the bars stare back at her with the empty eyes. The guard finally stops in front of a door and places his hand on the panel. It flashes green then the bars slide back. He propels her forward into the dark space, "Enjoy your stay."

Tripping over the uneven floor, Romelle lands hard on the ground, pain striking at her temple. Feeling herself blacking out, she is barely cognizant of the figures approaching her. Her eyelids flutter then shut, and she knows no more.

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Walking into his father's throne room, Lotor performs his usual routine of noting which figures are standing about, trying to curry his father's favor. A lifetime spent looking over his shoulder has taught him to always be aware of his surroundings. One did not live long enough to become the King of Doom by being trustful. Finding no threats, Lotor approaches the throne with his usual swagger. Zarkon looks down on him, but doesn't comment as he continues to drink his wine out of his favorite golden goblet.

Kneeling at the base, Lotor calls out, "Father, Pollux is yours for the taking."

Lowering the goblet, Zarkon eyes his son for a moment before asking, "So why didn't you take it?"

Standing, Lotor looks up, "Voltron showed up unexpectedly. After taking care of Cova, I believed it prudent to leave."

"With Princess Romelle."

Ignoring the snide tone, Lotor nods, "A political prisoner to use against her fool of a younger brother."

"But no longer a pristine one," the king retorts, his eyes flashing with anger. "We might have been able to use her as a bargaining chip. King Jerold of Planet Mora was in talks with Cova for her hand. I doubt he'd want her now."

So, Haggar had already informed him of that fact. Figures. The old bat never could keep her mouth shut. Smiling up at his father, Lotor replies, "As you've always taught me, Father, to the victor goes the spoils."

Zarkon snorts in disdain. His gaze piercing, he demands, "So how did the Voltron Force know to show up there?"

Shrugging in an unconcerned fashion, Lotor remarks, "I have no doubt they have their own spies."

The dark gaze of the king never falters as he glares down at his son. Refusing to be intimidated, Lotor holds his gaze. Finally, Zarkon waves a hand at him, dismissing him. Turning around, Lotor ignores the whispering of the sycophants that always loiter in the throne room and leaves. It's time for him to visit his own quarters. A hot bath and massage will be the perfect end to a perfect day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Two weeks later:

Fingering the bit of crusty bread one of the slaves handed her after their rations arrived, Romelle ignores the growling of her stomach and looks around the cell. When she awoke after first being thrown into the cell, it was to find herself being taken care of by the group of female prisoners sharing her prison. All of them prisoners rather than slaves, being held against their will for various reasons. Her eyes drift to the one called, Violet.

Long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, and wide green eyes stare out of a sunken face. Rags that were once regal clothes barely cover her thin frame. Considered the leader of the group, she ensures what little food and water they receive is distributed evenly among the prisoners. Everyone gets the same share, which is barely enough to keep anyone alive.

"Are you going to eat that?"

Looking over at Molly to find the expression in her eyes hopeful, Romelle is tempted to hand the bread over. They were all starving. However, Molly had been there longer than most and her bony frame showed it. A deep sigh escapes Romelle. Looking down at the pathetic scrap of bread in her hand, she answers, "Yes. I have to."

"Molly, you know better than to ask."

Both women glance up when Violet stops near them. She gives Molly an irritated look, "Don't make Romelle feel guilty for not sharing when there isn't enough to share."

"Sorry," Molly whispers then turns away to face the wall.

Violet shakes her head at her then sits down next to Romelle, "How are you doing?"

Looking down at the bread, Romelle shrugs. She told Violet just enough about what happened to her upon her arrival to put the other woman at ease. Speaking of the loss of her father and brother had been tough. Speaking of what Lotor had done to her after, impossible. Violet understood without Romelle having to tell her everything.

She looks over when Violet pats her arm in sympathy. Violet gestures at the bread, "You better eat that."

Nodding, Romelle breaks off a bit and sticks it in her mouth. Hard and crusty, it takes a bit for it to soften before she can chew and swallow it. Violet pats her arm again then rises and moves away. Her stomach almost rebels against the bread a moment later. She has never known such hunger, to the point her stomach seems to turn in on itself. It seems strange that to eat now makes her sick. Surely eating would alleviate the pains?

Forcing herself to finish the bread despite the pain, Romelle wishes for the hundredth time for her home on Pollux. A useless wish, but a wish just the same. She brushes away the tears the thought of home brings. So lost in her thoughts, Romelle almost misses the sound of the door to the cell opening. The scurrying sound of the women moving in the cell brings her attention to the front. Finding Prince Lotor walking into the cell with a troop of soldiers behind him, Romelle turns away, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.

She hears his boots against the rough cement of the floor as he moves around the room. Finally, the sound stops behind her, followed by the comment, "Are you afraid to face me, Romelle?"

The derisive tone rankles Romelle and reminds her of his parting comment about her lack of spirit. Turning about, she glares up at him, "Go away."

An amused smile slips across his face. Bending toward her, Lotor remarks, "Even in this grime, you look lovely."

Romelle snorts contemptuously and looks away from him. Even without a mirror, she knows how bad she looks. She hasn't had a bath or been able to brush her hair for so long. He makes a tut-tut sound at her, "Now is that the way a princess behaves?"

Determined to ignore him, Romelle continues to face the wall. He yanks her around the next moment by her shoulder. Lotor's eyes narrow at her, "You will not dishonor me, Princess."

"You dishonor yourself!" Romelle yells back, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes.

The expression in Lotor's eyes changes. His gaze drops to her lips and he begins to lower his head as if… Realizing his intention to kiss her, Romelle's arm swings up and around. The sound of the ringing slap echoes in the small cell.

Instantly furious, Lotor yanks Romelle up by her arm, "You will pay for that." He tosses her back to the awaiting guards, who barely catch her in time to prevent her from landing hard on the ground. His yellow eyes flash with fury as he orders, "Get her cleaned up, and then take her to my rooms." He looks back at her in disgust, "Even I have standards, Romelle."

Screaming in terror and trying to pull away from the troops, Romelle fights to get away. Suddenly, she feels a pain at the back of her neck and everything goes black.

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Several hours later, Romelle is barely cognizant of her surroundings as two guards drag her back to the prison cells. Only when the door opens, and she is tossed inside, does she come out of her misery long enough to notice. Curling into a ball on the hard, stone floor, Romelle covers her head with her arms and finally releases her pain. A hand strokes her hair the next moment, pushing back the newly cleaned locks. The sound of a quiet lullaby being hummed follows. Closing her eyes, she clears her mind and tries to forget until all she knows is the calming ballad and the gentle stroke of a hand.

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"We have to do something."

Awaking to the sound of someone talking, Romelle is shocked to find she managed to fall asleep at all. After her ordeal, she never thought she would sleep again. Keeping her eyes closed, she listens to the voices of the other women surrounding her.

"You know he'll keep tormenting her until he kills her."

"Shh."

"Don't tell me to be quiet. You know what happened to Lady Malvina. When her father refused to surrender, Lotor tortured her he until grew bored with her. Then he threw her into the Pit of Skulls."

"I know, but what do you suggest? I can get us out of this cell, but there is no way off the planet without a ship and none of us knows how to fly."

Recognizing Violet's voice, Romelle opens her eyes and looks up. The women instantly quiet. Violet tries a comforting smile on her while brushing back her hair, "How are you feeling?"

Ignoring the question, Romelle forces herself up. She looks around at the sympathetic faces and says, "I can fly."

The light in Violet's gaze changes, her jaw tightens and she nods. Looking at the other women, she says, "This is what we're going to do…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Walking down the prison hall, a Drule guard pushes a food cart. He stops at each cell, opening the smaller door in the wall to push food and water through before closing it and moving on. Stopping at the last cell, he opens the panel and shoves the food and water through in the same manner as the others. Closing it, the guard is about to turn around and leave when he hears, "Stop! Something is wrong with Princess Romelle! She won't wake up!"

Freezing in place, the guard thinks about walking away. Problem with that, Princess Romelle is currently one of Prince Lotor's favorites. All the guards had been made aware of this when the prince decreed her protected. If something is wrong with her and she would die, the prince would blame him for his inaction. Everyone know what happens to someone who displeases the Prince of Doom. He should go check on the princess. Taking a step toward the door, he pauses as another thought comes to him. Guards are not to enter the cells alone and the rest of the guards are at dinner.

"Hurry! Her breathing sounds funny!"

Decision made, he pulls his blaster from his side. The guard places his palm on the locking mechanism and waits for the cell door to open. Stepping just inside, he points the gun at the women surrounding the princess and orders, "Everyone back!"

The women hold up their hands and back away. His gaze stays on the women as he slowly approaches Princess Romelle. Only when he hears the princess' rattling breath, does he look down. Lowering himself to the ground, the guard reaches for the princess just before something slams against the back of his head.

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Following the women down the hall, Romelle watches Violet hold up a hand to stop them. She pauses to look around a corner then gestures them to follow once more. Soon, they are out of the prison block and heading for the landing bay. Suddenly, a guard steps through a door just ahead of them. Before he can sound the alarm, Violet shoots him with the gun they took from the guard they took out in their cell. Glancing back, she orders, "Take his gun!"

Molly picks it up and they continue. Reaching the door to the bay, Violet again holds up her hand for them to stop. Moving forward to stand beside her, Romelle looks around the corner to find several guards. They stand guard as huge crates from one of the transport ships move along conveyors toward the castle.

"How are we going to get past the guards?"

Looking back at the frightened faces, Romelle takes a deep breath while trying to think of something. They need to divert the soldiers' attention. Her eyes move over the crates surrounding them until she recognizes a symbol on one. Squeezing Violet's arm as a thought comes to her, Romelle gestures her over to the stack of crates. Throwing back the tarp and finding bottles of lantern oil, she says, "We need a fire, a large one."

xxxxxxxxxx

Running away from the roaring flames behind her, Romelle stops with the other women and presses herself to the side of the open doorway to the bay. They hear the alarm sound and guards yelling, "Fire!"

Pressing themselves against the wall as much as possible, they wait until the last of the guards stream through and head down the hall toward the fire. Once the last guard goes by, the women race around the corner and run toward the nearest space cruiser. Running up the ramp and into the ship, Romelle calls out, "Hurry, we have a short amount of time before they return!"

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Sitting at his father's banquet table, Prince Lotor watches the highest-ranking members of Zarkon's army feasting and toasting their king. He looks up at his father. King Zarkon sits upon his throne, a goblet of blood-red wine raised high into the air, saluting them as he urges the men to eat and drink. Lotor shakes his head at the fools. His father has these feasts regularly. He seems to enjoy the sycophants kissing up to him with their raised cups. When he becomes king, they will find it takes more than toasts to gain his favor.

The sound of an alarm echoes in the great hall, drawing everyone's attention. Lotor looks over as a guard approaches, "Highness, Princess Romelle, and the other women in her cell, have escaped. They stole a ship. Captain Mogor is pursuing."

Furious, the wine glass in Lotor's hand shatters as he exclaims, "The bitch! I'll get her back myself and she will pay dearly for her treachery!"

Ignoring the amused expression on his parent's face, Lotor heads for the double doors of the banquet hall while ordering, "Prepare my ship!"

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Pushing the ship to fly as fast as it can, Romelle prays fervently for safe passage home. So far, their getaway has been clean, but she doesn't expect it to stay that way. There are far faster ships on Planet Doom. Ships capable of catching up to them. They chose poorly in their panic to leave Doom. Feeling fear crawling up her sides, Romelle hits the button on the control panel repeatedly, even while knowing it's futile. The ship is already going as fast as it can. Repeating the prayer her mother taught her as a child, Romelle closes her eyes. They open instantly at the first shudder.

Flipping the monitor screen, they find a group of Doom fighters behind them. She knew it would happen, but had prayed it wouldn't happen this quickly. She looks over as Molly cries out, "We'll never make it!"

Ignoring her, Violet yells, "I'm calling out for help!"

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Inside his ship, Lotor laughs as they continue to blast the Doom cargo ship in front of them. Glancing down into the galley, he finds the old witch sitting in a seat close to his. She somehow managed to sneak aboard his ship before he left. At his father's orders no doubt. She looks up at him, her yellow eyes probing. Determined to ignore her, Lotor looks back up at the screen. The cargo ship moves slowly, the blasts easily hitting their marks. He snorts in disdain, "Of all the ships they could have taken, they take the slowest in the fleet and the one with no weapons. Idiots."

A blast hits the lower engine, causing them to slow down even more. Knowing the battle is almost over, Lotor calls out, "That's it! Take out the remaining engines! I want the princess alive!"

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Crying out in fear as she loses another engine, Romelle turns the ship toward the nearest planet. Another blast hits the ship and flames rise around the monitors. Fearing they won't make it, she calls out, "Tell them we're crash landing on Planet Neeve."

Romelle listens to Violet add their location into her message. Praying for a safe landing, she feels the ship shudder once more.

"They hit the last engine. Hang on, we'll have to crash land," Romelle says while trying to guide the ship into the atmosphere.

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Watching the burning ship heading for the planet surface, Lotor orders, "Get down there! I want those prisoners!"

"Highness, we're receiving a transmission from the ship. They're calling out for help."

He ignores the witch's low cackle. Irritation fills him, "How far did it go?"

"It went out on all available channels."

"Damn it! Those interfering fools from Arus will no doubt receive it." Lotor slams his fist against the console, his anger growing.

"Let them come."

Looking down at Haggar, he demands, "What do you mean?"

"You want Princess Allura, use Princess Romelle to get her," the witch says while petting her blue cat, Coba.

Lotor stares down at her in contemplation then smiles, his fangs glistening. Hitting the communication button, he calls out, "Mogor."

The Drule commander shows up on the monitor, "Yes, Highness?"

"Secure Princess Romelle. I don't care about the others."

Nodding to him, Mogor replies, "As you wish, Highness," and the screen goes black.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Planet Arus:

Racing down the hallway with Allura at his side, Keith Kogane listens as the alarm continues to blare. Reaching the control room a moment later, he finds the others already inside and Coran up in the command chair. Upon their arrival, the advisor turns around to tell them, "We're receiving a distress call."

"From where?"

"A ship crash landing on Planet Neeve," Coran responds then turns back around in the chair. After hitting a few buttons, the message replays.

"SOS, SOS, calling for help on all available channels! We've escaped Planet Doom and have Princess Romelle from Planet Pollux with us! We're crash landing on Planet Neeve and Doom ships are close behind! Please, help!"

"Romelle!"

Allura races forward to stand beside her advisor, "We must help her!"

"Could be a trap."

Turning back to her mate with wild eyes, Allura declares, "I don't care! If there's a chance we can save Romelle, we have to take it!"

Moving next to her, Keith places a hand on her shoulder to calm her then looks over at Coran, "How many ships are in the vicinity?"

The advisor brings up the radar and replies, "I see no sign of any Doom ships beyond the one claiming to have Princess Romelle on it. But, that doesn't mean they aren't there. There is a ship heading toward Neeve from Planet Pollux."

"Bandor must have received the message as well," says Lance with a shake of his head. "If it's a Doom trap, he'll walk right into it."

"We can't let him go alone," Keith replies with a shake of his head. He looks back at the other men to find equal resolve in their gaze and orders, "Let's get to the lions."

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Watching the frozen planet of Neeve growing larger on his monitor, Prince Bandor of Planet Pollux presses his men to push the ship to go as fast as possible. He has to reach his sister before Doom does. He will not fail her again.

"Prince Bandor, this is Commander Keith Kogane of Planet Arus, come in please!"

Hearing the hail, Bandor moves toward the communication equipment to answer, "This is Prince Bandor. I'm going to rescue my sister!"

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes. Bandor, do not approach Planet Neeve without us!"

Shaking his head, the young prince replies, "I can't wait! Prince Lotor may reach her first if I do. Romelle needs my help!"

"Prince Bandor, it could be a trap. Listen! Wait until we get there!"

Gritting his teeth, Bandor shakes his head again, "No. I will not wait."

"Bandor…"

Ending the transmission, Bandor turns to face his men, "Let's get down there and save Romelle!"

His men share a concerned look, but do as instructed. Landing near the Doom ship, they use a large snow machine to cross the snowy surface. Bandor jumps down from the machine before it comes to a full stop and runs for the ship.

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Swearing under his breath when the transmission ends, Keith curses the impulsive prince under his breath. Allura appears on his video screen, her expression showing her concern as she asks, "What do we do?"

"Nothing we can do," Keith replies between gritted teeth. "All we can do is pray it isn't a trap and get there as fast as we can."

Hitting the communicator, he calls out to everyone, "Push these lions as fast as they can go. We have to get there as soon as possible."

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Fifteen minutes later, Keith leads the group of lions down to the planet surface. Landing next to the Polluxian ship, he notes the lack of Polluxian guards in the area and feels the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Hitting the comm. unit, he calls out, "Pidge, scan the area."

"Already on it, Cap," he replies, his tone showing his own anxiety. "This snow and cold is messing with the radar systems. I can't get a reading on anything."

Swearing, he hits another button and tries to hail Bandor's ship. When no one answers, he closes his eyes for a moment while thinking. Making a decision, Keith opens his eyes and calls out, "Allura and Lance, stay in the lions and cover us from out here. Hunk, Pidge, and I will scout out the ship."

Allura appears on his side screen so their conversation will remain private, her gaze troubled, "I want to go. I need to help Romelle."

Shaking his head, Keith replies, "Don't argue with me on this. I need someone to cover my back in case Doom tries to attack and I need to know you're safe. You'll be safer in that lion than out in the open."

Acquiescing with a nod, she adds, "I need you safe too."

Smiling at her, Keith replies, "I know, love, I know."

Turning off the screen, he rises from his seat. Ensuring he has his weapons on him, Keith opens the side hatch and drops to the ground. Finding Hunk and Pidge waiting for him, he gestures for them to follow him. They walk past the Polluxian snow machine and slowly approach the ship, entering through the open hatch door. Glancing around and finding the ship eerily silent, he asks, "Pidge, anything?"

Checking his handheld radar, Pidge shakes his head, "This isn't picking up anything either. Must be something with the planet's magnetic flux."

Pulling out his laser gun and holding it at ready, Keith gestures for the others to follow him. They move deeper into the ship, opening doors and checking rooms. Finding them empty, they continue. With each empty room, Keith's anxiety rises. Glancing at Hunk and Pidge, he finds them equally uptight. Reaching the ship's command center, Keith presses the button to open the doors then walks inside when the double doors slide open. Instantly, he is thankful that he made Allura stay in the lion. The sight in front of him would have devastated her. Bodies of several women lie on the floor, some with wounds consistent with a laser gun, and the rest ran through with laser swords.

"What a waste."

Nodding at Hunk in agreement, Keith moves around the bodies, checking for Princess Romelle. Relief fills him when he doesn't find her among the dead. Instantly, his concern rises when he remembers Bandor and the others appear to be missing. Moving away from the bodies, Keith orders, "Let's keep searching the ship."

Turning down another corridor, Keith pauses when he hears a faint tapping sound. He glances back at the other two, and they nod to indicate they hear it too. Ready for an ambush, they keep going down the hall. The sound becomes louder and louder until they find the origin behind a closed door. Pidge moves past Keith to study the access panel and states, "Someone blasted it. Whoever is in there, they didn't want them to escape."

As he pulls the panel off and reaches in for the wires, Keith asks, "Can you hot-wire it?"

"I'll give it a try," Pidge replies, his fingers moving over the wires and twisting various ones together.

Hunk moves to stand next to him and shakes his head, "It won't work that way."

"What do you know," Pidge snorts, looking up to glare at his friend. "If it doesn't blow up or go high speeds, you aren't interested."

Leaving them to their argument, Keith steps away to pull his comm. off his belt. Hitting the button, he calls out, "Allura, Lance, what's it like out there?"

"Quiet…almost too…uiet, if you…what…mean," Lance answers, the transmission breaking up and making him hard to understand.

Cursing whatever is with the planet that is messing with their equipment, he replies, "Keep your eyes open, Kogane out."

Turning back, he finds Pidge and Hunk ready to get into a full on fistfight. Tired of it, Keith remarks, "Are you two done with your quarrel? We need to find out who is behind the door and get the hell out of here before Doom descends on us!"

Their faces redden and Hunk has the good grace to step away. Clearing his throat, Pidge replies, "Sorry Cap. I'll have it in a moment."

He twists two more wires together and the light on the panel ignites. "That's it!"

Hunk moves to one side of the door, his laser gun ready. Pointing his own gun at the door, Keith nods to Pidge. He presses the button and the doors slowly part. The missing men from the Polluxian ship stagger out. The commander of the group spots Keith and exclaims, "The women were already dead when we entered the ship. Doom troops trapped us. They took Prince Bandor."

"Shit!" Keith curses then turns around and starts back down the hallway at a run. "We need to get out to the lions."

The ship rocks the next moment from an explosion, almost knocking everyone off their feet. Holding onto the wall to keep his balance, Keith hears another explosion nearby. Gesturing to the men, he orders, "Get back to your ship!"

Running down the corridors, the group reaches the hatch and steps out to find a battle taking place. Keith pauses long enough to watch Blue Lion take out a Doom fighter with a proton missile. Red Lion moves over them to give them cover the next moment, blocking the battle from view. After gesturing the Polluxian men to their ships, Keith tells Hunk and Pidge, "See you in the air," and then turns and runs for Black Lion.


	10. Chapter 10

Many thanks to the reviewers, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. On we go!

Chapter 10

Standing beside his ship on a cliff overlooking the valley below, Prince Lotor glances back to find Princess Romelle and Prince Bandor struggling against their captors. Smiling to himself, he turns his attention back to the battle. Not that it's much of one. He only sent five fighters out, just enough to get their attention. Irritation fills him. The blowing snow is worsening, making it difficult to see the action below. After spotting another ship exploding, Lotor turns back to his men, "Order the last fighter to retreat and hail the lions, now!"

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Placing his key in the slot, Keith watches his display activate. He notes another fighter being destroyed by Allura then the last one flying off. Pulling back on the controls, he orders, "After that fighter! He may take us to wherever they're holding Romelle and Bandor!"

The lions race across the snow covered terrain in pursuit. Blowing snow reduces visibility to almost nothing. Cursing the planet's environment, Keith stops the lion abruptly at the sight of a large Doom command ship resting on a short cliff just ahead. As the other lions stop behind him, he hears Lotor's maniacal laughter coming through the communication equipment followed by, "What's the matter, Commander? Afraid to come any farther?"

Working the controls to his visuals, Keith is finally able to zoom in on the group standing just outside the ship. Surrounded by a squad of Doom troops, Romelle and Bandor cling to each other while shivering in the cold and blowing snow. He hears Allura's gasp through the comm. and grimaces. So much for hoping she hadn't seen them. Fear clinches him the next moment when Lotor declares, "I suggest a trade. Romelle and Bandor for Princess Allura."

"NO!" screams Keith, sitting forward in his seat, his hands balled into tight fists.

"Are you nuts?" Lance questions with a shake of his head.

Lotor's voice echoes through the comm., "You have two minutes to comply. If you refuse, Romelle dies. If you still refuse after that, Bandor dies next."

"Keith, I have to."

Closing his eyes against the pain and fear constricting his heart at his mate's whispered words, Keith shakes his head in denial but keeps his lips pressed together to keep it within. Unable to look at her, he listens to Allura's quiet crying coming over their private line. He opens his eyes to see the snow-filled landscape on his main monitor. The blowing snow makes it hard to see the large Doom ship, even as close as they are to it.

"You're running out of time. What's your decision?"

Lotor's demanding tone spurs Keith into action. Hitting his own comm. so it echoes across the valley, he replies, "We agree."

"What the hell?"

"Are you crazy?"

"You can't give her to him!"

"Trust me, guys." Finally meeting Allura's gaze on the side monitor, he finishes, "I have a plan. Just be ready to attack."

She nods to him before the screen goes black. Pulling the key from the switch, Keith rises from the seat, opens the side hatch, and jumps down to the ground. When Allura approaches him, he wraps his arm around her waist and looks up the short cliff to call out, "Allura's on her way. Send Romelle and Bandor over. They start at the same time or no deal!"

"Very well," Lotor replies down to them.

Keith tightens his grip on Allura's waist while whispering instructions into her ear. He places a kiss on the bit of her cheek that her helmet fails to cover then releases her, "Go."

"I love you," Allura whispers before pulling away and starting up the snowy terrain.

It takes everything within Keith not to pull her back and order her back into her lion. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he looks up the cliff-side to find Romelle and Bandor slowly making their way down.

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From his vantage point, Lotor watches Allura as she slowly makes her way up the cliff. When she trips and falls into the snow, he calls out, "Don't stop, Princess. I can still kill Romelle and Bandor from here."

A smirk slips across his face. He can imagine the fire in her eyes when she looks up at him from her place in the snow. Spirit. Princess Allura has so much more than Romelle. He can't wait to see what she does with that spirit when he is thrusting into her. A gust of wind blows the snow even harder, making Allura almost impossible to see for a moment as she walks between a small group of trees.

She becomes visible again after passing the trees, the snow collecting on her suit. Turning back, he finds Haggar standing near the open hatch, watching the proceedings with her blue cat in her arms. Victorious, Lotor orders, "As soon as I have her, send the robeast to destroy those lions."

The old witch nods in answer before turning away. The smile on Lotor's face grows as he watches the princess moving closer. After all his patience and planning, he'll finally have her.

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Turning her face away from the snow blowing in her eyes, Romelle tightens her grip on her brother. The wind propels her forward as they fight their way through the snow to the awaiting lions below. Freezing with the cold wind and a lack of appropriate clothing, she shivers violently. Relieved to be away from Lotor, she can't help the overflow of guilt racking her system. The Doom soldiers forced her to stand and watch them kill Violet and the others. Now Allura, a cousin she barely knows, is taking her place in hell so she can go free. Romelle spots the figure moving past, but has to turn her face away when the snow blows into her face again, blinding her.

Stopping, she looks back to find the figure walking up the hill. Despite her desire to go home, to end the hell that has been her life since Lotor walked into it, she can't do it. Bandor pulls on her arm, trying to force her to move forward. Pulling it away, Romelle says, "I can't do it. I can't let Allura take my place. Not when I know what that monster will do to her."

Bandor stares into her eyes for a moment then nods. Turning, Romelle starts back up the hill. She stops when Bandor falls into line beside her. Looking down at her brother, she asks, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going with you," he replies, his body stiff with tension.

Thoughts of arguing with him disappear when she finds the determination in his eyes. Nodding to him, Romelle takes his hand within hers. They slowly walk back up the hill together.

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Standing at the edge of the cliff, Lotor watches the princess approach. His eyes narrow on her, the blowing snow has coated her uniform, distorting her figure. As she finishes climbing the hill and stands but a few feet from him, he yells back, "Now Haggar!"

As the robeast breaks out of the snow and heads for the lions, he steps forward, "Come Allura, it's time for you to meet your destiny."

"Destiny will have to wait."

Hearing a male voice coming out of the princess causes Lotor to stop mid-step. He watches the figure open his utility belt and press a button. The snow melts quickly, revealing the Commander of the Voltron Force.

"You tricked me," yells Lotor as he pulls his sword from his belt.

"You honestly thought I'd let Allura sacrifice herself?" Keith asks, his eyes narrowing as he pulls out his own laser sword and ignites it.

Holding it high, he starts toward Lotor with a warrior's yell only to stop when Haggar's cat jumps up on him, claws digging into his arms. Dropping the sword, Keith manages to toss the cat off only to find Lotor holding his sword to his throat with a smile on his face. "Now, I'll be rid of you. The robeast will take care of the rest of your men and Princess Allura will be mine."

Raising his sword above his head, Lotor watches Keith closely. A small amount of respect rises within him as the commander holds his gaze, refusing to look away in the face of certain death. Bringing the sword down, Lotor gasps in pain as a laser blast hits his hand, knocking the sword away.

Both men turn to find Romelle standing behind Prince Bandor, who holds a gun on them. Lotor snarls, "I thought they took your weapons."

"They missed one," Bandor replies, his expression smug. His gaze moves to Keith, "Get back to your lion! They need you to stop the robeast!" He looks back to Lotor, "We'll take care of him."

Lotor looks over to find Keith reaching down into the snow. He pulls up his own laser sword, ignites it and takes a step toward Lotor while saying, "Lotor is too much for you."

Bandor comes running forward, "No, he's mine!"

They stop when they hear Haggar's evil laughter. A smile slips across Lotor's face as the commander looks around, trying to find the source of the sound. He doesn't find her fast enough. Lotor looks to the side hatch in time to see Haggar raise her staff into the air. The blast knocks the commander and Prince Bandor into the air. They land in the snow several feet back, close to Romelle.

Picking up the sword the commander dropped when he landed, Romelle races toward Lotor, "Monster!"

He sidesteps her thrust and backhands her, knocking her out. Picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, Lotor walks into the open hatch of his ship with Haggar and her cat. As the door closes behind him, he calls out, "Get us into the air!"


	11. Chapter 11

Quick extra chapter to make up for some of the wait time in the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Chapter 11

Slowly rising to his feet, Keith wipes blood from his chin. He looks up as the engines of the Doom ship ignite and it rises up into the air. His attention moves to Bandor when he jumps up and yells, "No! Romelle!" He starts for the ship. Keith grabs his arm before he can get too far, "Stop, Bandor! You can't save her!"

Tears run down Bandor's face as he holds a hand up into the air at the departing ship, "Romelle!"

The roar of the robeast draws Keith's attention. He turns in time to see Blue Lion barely miss a missile fired at it. The dark gray beast stands at least fifty feet tall with long, white spikes coming out of his head. Large yellow eyes stare out as the beast fights off the lions. Bright red globes rest on the stomach and arms. A beam flies out of the globe on the stomach, just missing Yellow Lion. A deafening sound echoes through the snowy valley the next moment as Green Lion crashes after being knocked out of the air by the razor claws on the robeast. Red and Yellow lions try to flank the beast only for a field of some sort to fly at them, catching them midair and tossing them back. Fear for his team streaks through him. "Come on, Bandor," Keith says as he drags him away. "We have to reach Black Lion!"

It takes a lot of pushing, but Keith gets Bandor back down the cliff and into Black Lion. Glancing back at the prince, he orders, "Get buckled in."

Placing the key in the slot, he pulls back on the controls and lifts the lion up into the air.

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Within Red Lion, Lance grits his teeth as the robeast knocks his lion of the air and back to the ground. A yell of pain escapes him a moment later as Yellow Lion crashes on top of Red, almost knocking him out of his seat. Righting himself in his chair, he calls out, "We need to flank it before it can hit us with that force field."

"How do you propose to do that?"

Wishing he could punch Hunk for his attitude, Lance snarls, "I'm not a freaking expert!"

"Nor a commander."

Looking up at his monitor, relief fills Lance when he spots Black Lion coming up behind the beast and firing a proton missile at it. The explosion knocks the robeast face first into the snow. Keith appears on the monitor, "Quick, while it's stunned, let's form Voltron!"

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From the bridge of his ship, Lotor watches the battle taking place below them. Crossing his arms over his chest, he snorts in contempt when Black Lion disables the robeast so easily and the lions fly up into the air to form Voltron. Looking over at Haggar, he remarks, "When will you build a robeast smart enough to watch his back?"

The old witch doesn't answer him. She sits with her cat, Coba, on her lap, stroking his fur absently. He gives up on her and turns back to the monitor. From behind, he hears, "Perhaps, you should care less about taking Princess Allura alive and let the robeast do his job."

Snorting in contempt, Lotor stares at the screen, trying to rein in his temper. He hates to admit she has a point. But, how can he allow a beautiful morsel like Princess Allura to be lost? It goes against everything within him to kill her before he can sample her. After, he'd no longer care. Crossing his arms over his chest, he watches as Voltron lands in front of the robeast. The battle lasts less than five minutes. Shaking his head with disgust as Voltron uses its sword to cut his robeast in half, Lotor turns away from the screen and orders, "Get us out of here. Now." He leaves the bridge and heads for his room. It's time to punish Romelle for her disobedience.

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Turning Voltron away from the explosion caused by the blazing sword cutting through the robeast's electrical systems, Keith waits until the flash dissipates before turning and looking up into the sky. The Doom ship is flying through the sky and into the atmosphere. He watches it grow smaller until he can no longer see it. Hearing Bandor crying behind him, Keith sighs. Pressing the controls, he calls out, "Deactivating Voltron. Meet you guys on the ground."

Landing close to the Polluxian ship, Keith removes the key for his lion then moves over to the hatch. He opens the door then glances back at Bandor. Taking the hint, the prince slowly rises from his seat and moves past Keith to jump to the ground, his shoulders hunched in defeat. Keith follows him down then places a hand on his shoulder as he leads him over to his awaiting men.

As Allura rushes up to them, Keith gives a subtle shake of his head. Catching it, she nods to him and slows her gait. As the Polluxian men approach them, Keith gives Bandor's shoulder a squeeze, "Don't worry, Prince Bandor. I know it seems like all is lost, but we will get Romelle back. Have faith."

Wiping at the tears sliding down his cheek, Bandor looks up at him. The sadness fades from his eyes and his expression tightens. After nodding to Keith in understanding, he moves away and joins his men.

Watching them move toward their ship, Keith senses Allura's approach and wraps an arm around her waist when she reaches him. Turning away, he faces his own men. Lance, Hunk and Pidge show a similar sense of defeat in their stance. They beat the robeast, but lost the battle when Lotor escaped with Princess Romelle.

As the Polluxian craft lifts into the air and takes off, Lance remarks, "Why does it feel like we've lost?"

"Because we didn't win," Pidge answers, his gaze downcast as he kicks at a pile of snow. "Lotor still has Princess Romelle."

Hearing Allura sucking in breath to control her own emotions, Keith tighten his grip on her hip. Turning his head, he places a kiss on her forehead to comfort her. Sighing, Keith looks back at the others then orders, "Let's go home."

The group turns around. Moving back to the lions, Keith glances up into the sky. The Doom ship is long gone, but it will take a while for their losses to fade with it. Silently vowing to redouble their efforts to save Romelle, Keith watches the others head for their lions before walking back to his own. Tomorrow is another day and the war will continue.

End Episode 2


	12. Chapter 12 - Episode 3

Episode 3: A Friend Indeed

Chapter 12

Two weeks later:

Everything hurts. It hurts to move, to even breathe. Romelle shifts her body, trying to dislodge the weight holding her down. Lotor grumbles in his sleep, the hand on her bruised breast clenching the tender skin, causing even more agony. Biting her lower lip to prevent herself from crying out, Romelle closes her eyes and fights against the tears threatening to escape. The last two weeks have been complete hell. She thought her treatment before reprehensible, but it had been nothing in comparison. Lotor has been relentless in his punishment for her escape attempt. He did anything that would hurt and degrade her, outside of sharing her with his men. Gang rape is the only punishment Romelle hasn't experienced. Not that Lotor hasn't threaten her with it on multiple occasions to gain compliance.

She moves her arms without thinking, causing the chains holding her in place to rattle. Freezing with fear, Romelle looks down as Lotor moves again. His head lifts and those yellow eyes that she's learned to hate look at her with disgust as he says, "Can't you let a man sleep?"

Biting her lip until she can taste blood, Romelle remains silent, but holds his stare. She learned early that looking away only encouraged more degradation. He considered it a sign of cowardice. Lotor turns his gaze toward the clock then back at her to say, "I have an hour before I need to meet with my father. How should we spend it?"

When she refuses to answer, Lotor smiles and lowers his head. As his teeth bite painfully onto her nipple, Romelle grinds her teeth together, but maintains her silence. Another thing she learned, he likes it when she begs and screams. Refusing to give him the satisfaction is the only bit of defiance Romelle has left to her. Not that she expects to keep silent the entire time. She'll hold out as long as possible until the pain becomes too much.

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Glancing once more at the bed, Lotor smirks at the sight of Romelle. Stripped bare, she looks worse for wear after their morning romp. With her head turned away, she refuses to face him as she cries. Pathetic woman. She has no spirit, nothing commendable beyond her beauty. He is growing bored with her. He must decide what to do with her soon. Despite his threats against her, her foolish brother refuses to relinquish control of Planet Pollux to Doom. The little fool has more sense than his sister.

Leaving his room, he makes his way down to his father's private suites. Pushing his way past the guards that block the door, he enters without knocking. Finding his father breaking his fast, Lotor sits down absently in the open chair at the other end of the table and remarks, "You wanted to see me?"

Lowering his goblet, Zarkon considers his son for a moment before asking, "What is the status of Planet Pollux?"

Clasps his hands in front of him to stop himself from balling his fists, Lotor answers, "The same."

"It's been a month, Lotor," Zarkon states before picking up his goblet and taking another sip. "In a month, you haven't been able to get Prince Bandor to give up control of his world. What do you still have his sister for?"

"Romelle has been useful for other purposes."

"Purposes that have caused you to ignore your other duties. You have enough slaves to take care of those needs," the king retorts, his eyes flashing with anger. "Use her to get her brother to give up Pollux or get rid of her. I've had enough of your tarrying."

"Very well." Lotor stands then looks down on his father, "Anything else?"

Zarkon waves him off, his attention on his breakfast once more. Disgusted with him, Lotor turns around and leaves the room. Now, he has to deal with Romelle and her foolish brother. The sooner he is done with them, the sooner he can move onto the next plan he is working on with Haggar.

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Sleep. The only escape Romelle has from Lotor and her imprisonment. Exhausted from the latest round of torture, she fell asleep almost at once when Lotor left the room. Images of home and being with her family float through her dreams. A rude hand yanking her out of the bed awakens her. Looking up, she finds the cruel mistress of Lotor's harem. Her fingernails dig into Romelle's skin, drawing blood as she orders, "Get up! You're to be bathed and dressed."

She turns her back on her. Forgetting the other harsh lesson she learned, Romelle demands, "Why?"

The woman turns back and slaps Romelle hard, knocking her to the floor. She glares at her for daring to speak out of turn then looks back at the other two slaves with her to order, "Get her bathed."

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A torture all its own, Romelle suffered being slapped and pinched continuously during her bath. After, they ruthlessly pulled her hair as they brushed and styled it. An hour later, Romelle stands in front of Prince Lotor. Dressed in a manner befitting her station, she fights to keep her expression neutral and not to shake from the fear ravaging her. The prince lounges in his chair, his insolent gaze sliding up and down her form. Finished, he looks back at the harem mistress, "Good enough. You're dismissed."

The horrible woman smiles and curtsies to him before turning around and leaving the room. Lotor rises from his seat and stops in front of Romelle. His gaze moves along her form once more before he remarks, "You almost look an innocent again." An evil smile slips across his lips, "Though, we both know you're nowhere close to one."

The fear dissipates. Anger coursing through her veins, Romelle longs for a weapon to strike that smug smile off his face. But, she has nothing. At most, she could try to slap him. The punishment for the attempt wouldn't be worth the brief satisfaction, assuming he didn't block the slap. Never in her life has she felt so much impotent rage. She can't do anything to hurt the monster. Lotor steps away from her the next moment and snaps his fingers. Two guards grab her arms and force her to follow him out of the room.

Confused, Romelle tries to determine their destination by the hallways they walk along, but nothing appears familiar. They walk down a flight of old stone stairs, reaching a large wooden door. Lotor places his hand on a scanner and it opens with a loud creaking sound that causes goose bumps to form on Romelle's arms. In the distance, she can see the robeast stadium, but hears no noise from it. Her fear that is their destination leaves her.

It remounts the next moment when they leave the immediate grounds and take a rocky, winding path down a hill. Reaching the bottom, Romelle looks around, but finds nothing of interest. Lotor shocks her by grabbing her arm and dragging her forward. Instinctively digging her heels in, she tries to pull back. His grip on her arm tightens. He moves faster, causing her to trip. She stays on her feet, but struggles to keep her balance as they continue forward.

It takes everything within Romelle not to cry out in pain as Lotor drags her across the rough and uneven ground. His fingers dig into the soft skin of her arm. The soft-soled shoes they put on her are worthless, the rocks digging into her feet. About to fall, she gasps when they stop suddenly. She barely regains her balance when Lotor shoves her forward. A cry of pain escapes her as she lands hard, face first. Opening her eyes, Romelle gasps in fear to find a human skull inches from her. Scrambling back and turning over, she finds the ground surrounding her littered with the bones of the dead.

"Welcome to the Pit of Skulls."

Turning her attention back to Lotor, she finds the prince watching her dispassionately. Just past him, a line of Doom soldiers stand with their rifles pointing at her. His eyes narrow at her as he states, "This is your last chance, Romelle. Either your brother will give up Pollux, or you will die. I suggest you do your best to talk him into surrendering."

Romelle doesn't even have time to answer him. He takes two silver balls out of his pocket and rolls them onto the ground near them. They split into four, two of the balls flying up into the air, creating a square. Lotor takes out a controller the next moment and presses buttons. A visual display lights up within the square. It flashes then Bandor appears on the screen.

He spots her immediately and cries out, "Romelle!"

Lotor steps in front, blocking her view. "Prince Bandor, you have a decision to make. Either you surrender Planet Pollux, or you watch your sister die."

He steps aside so brother and sister can see each other once more. Romelle feels her heart breaking at the desolate expression on Bandor's face. His eyes fill with tears he tries to hide without success. Shaking her head at him, she exclaims, "Don't, Bandor! You can't!"

Stepping back into the view, Lotor demands, "What's your decision?"

Tears run down Bandor's face. Shaking his head, he replies, "I can't…"

"Fool."

Romelle pulls her gaze away from her brother when Lotor turns back to her. He seems to consider her for a moment then says, "Beg for mercy. Perhaps you can make me change my mind."

Glaring at him with all the hatred she feels, Romelle declares, "Never!"

He snorts in disdain, "Have it your way, I was tired of you anyway." With a casual wave of his hand, Lotor signals the soldiers.

Laser blasts strike around her, hitting the bones and knocking them into and over her. Romelle screams in terror while curling into a ball. The sound of her brother screaming her name is the last, clear thing she hears. The ground around her begins to shake and give way until she falls through a hole. Her scream echoes around her as she falls, the bones of the dead falling with her.

She lands hard on the rock and bone-strewn floor at the bottom, a groan of pain escaping her. Lifting her head when she hears a noise, Romelle forces her eyes open and spots a single light moving toward her.

The light moves closer, the dark shape behind it forming into a man. Gasping in fear, Romelle tries to back away only to cry out from the pain in her hip. Reaching down, she tries to force her legs to move. Feeling tears rolling down her cheeks, she looks over again to find his boots right next to her. Her gaze moves up to pants that have seen better days and a tattered shirt. His face hidden by the long, scruffy hair of his beard.

Fear fills her. However, the man isn't paying her any attention. His gaze is on the hole in the cave ceiling as more bones continue to fall. From above, she hears Lotor yell, "She's still alive, you fools! Get down there and finish her!"

Blowing out his candle and dropping to her side, the man grabs her hand while demanding, "Get up! We have to run!"

Rising with his help, Romelle stands then almost falls again, only his arm around her waist preventing her from landing on the ground. Gasping for breath, she cries, "I can't…my hip!"

The sound of the soldiers coming terrorizes Romelle. She barely manages to suck in another breath before the man lifts her in his arms and runs with her. Wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him, Romelle looks over his shoulders at the approaching soldiers. They point at them and run after them. Afraid, Romelle calls out, "They're following us."

"I know! Hold on!"

She notices the man's strange accent but says nothing as she continues to watch over his shoulder. The pain in her hip increases with each step the man takes until Romelle closes her eyes and simply tries to breathe. The yells of the soldiers following behind dims until she can't hear them at all. He stops suddenly and Romelle feels herself being lowered to the ground. Barely able to open her eyes, she watches him move a rock to cover the entrance to their hiding place before he turns back to face her. She notes the long, wild hair and the darkness of his eyes before her eyelids slide shut and everything fades away.


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks again to the reviewers, much appreciated.

Disclaimer reminder - I make no claims to Voltron, or any other WEP character.

Chapter 13

Fighting to open her eyes as she awakens, Romelle groans at the pain in her body. Giving up the battle, she tries to remember what happened. But, memory is elusive. A wet cloth moves across her forehead and she reaches up for it. A hand takes hers and pushes it back down by her side. The cloth returns, followed by a voice saying, "Just rest."

"Where…am…I?" Romelle manages to ask past her dry throat.

"Safe," the voice with the strange accent answers. "Rest now, Princess Romelle."

"You…you…know me?" she stutters, trying to comprehend what's happening.

"Yes."

"Water."

The cloth moves away and her head is lifted. Feeling something by her lips, Romelle opens her mouth and cool liquid flows in. She manages two sips before it is removed and the man says, "Easy. Too much may make you sick."

Laying back, Romelle finally manages to open her eyes just enough to notice the dim light of a candle illuminating the area. Shifting her gaze, she makes out the face of the man next to her. Long, shaggy, dark hair covers his head and face, almost hiding the concerned dark eyes looking back at her. He picks up the cloth and resumes running it over her forehead and along her cheek before moving it down along her neck. Memory returns. Lotor, the Pit of Skulls, falling. Her eyes move back to the man attending to her. She should be terrified, given his wild appearance and what has happened to her, but something about this man tells her he won't hurt her.

The allure of sleep calls for her. Fighting against it, she asks, "Who are…you?"

"Nobody."

He says nothing more, turning away to dip the cloth back into a bowl next to him. As he turns back to her, Romelle tiredly shakes her head and demands, "Name?"

The expression in the man's eyes change to one of irritation, but he finally answers, "Sven."

"Sven," she repeats as her eyes slowly shut. Romelle senses the return of the cloth to her forehead but says nothing more as sleep reclaims her.

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The next time Romelle wakes, it is to sharp pains in her groin. Rolling to her good side, she shoves her hands against it and cries out in pain. Sven is at her side within a moment demanding, "What's wrong?"

Reaching out to him with a bloody hand, the princess cries out, "Hurts…it hurts!"

He takes her hand and pulls the blanket down with his free hand. Romelle listens to him say something in a language she doesn't understand then he says, "I'll be right back."

"No! Don't leave me!" Romelle cries out, reaching for him again.

"I have to get something to help you," Sven answers then pulls away.

Curling into a ball, Romelle continues to cry as pain racks her body. It feels like an eternity before he returns. He picks up a bowl, fills it with water, and pours the contents of a small vial into it. Moving over to her, Sven helps lift her head and places a bowl near her lips while ordering, "Drink."

Sipping the liquid, Romelle starts to pull away from the foul flavor. Sven won't allow her to turn away. Instead, he demands, "Drink all of it!"

Returning to the bowl, she drinks down the entire potion. Once Sven releases her, she lays down, and curls back into a ball. Gradually the pain recedes and her eyelids become heavy. Giving into the inevitable, Romelle drifts back to sleep.

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When she opens her eyes sometime later, Romelle finds Sven watching her in the dim candle light. Feeling the rough blanket against her skin, she glances back at Sven to ask, "What happened?"

He drops his gaze and picks at something next to him, "I think you know."

Tears fill Romelle's eyes as she turns away from him the best she can. A hand is on her shoulder the next moment and he whispers, "I'm sorry."

"N…no," Romelle stutters back, but refuses to face him as the tears continue to roll down her cheeks, "I didn't want…not…his."

"But it doesn't prevent it from hurting you any less," Sven remarks, his thumb gently rubbing the skin of her shoulder.

His touch doesn't fill Romelle with revulsion the way Lotor's did. Instead, it soothes her, calming her down until she stops crying. He withdraws his hand when she quiets. Turning over, she finds Sven still watching her. Sucking in a deep breath, another thought comes to mind, "Where are my clothes?"

He looks away from her and over to the low, burning fire while answering, "They were too bloody for me to save, so I burned them." His dark gaze returns to her, "The smell of blood attracts things down here that you do not want drawn to you."

Dragging in another shaky breath, Romelle nods back to him. Pulling the blanket more firmly around her, she tries to sit up only for the pain in her hip to cause her to freeze and gasp. Sven is by her side a moment later, helping her to lower herself back down as he says, "Easy, you bruised your hip in that fall."

"It feels broken," Romelle replies as she settles back against the pallet.

Sven shakes his head at her, "No, I checked. Just deeply bruised. It will take some time to heal."

Securing the blanket around her even though she knows he has seen everything, Romelle murmurs, "Is there something I can put on?"

"There is nothing."

Standing, he moves across the cavern and rummages around his things. He returns a moment later with two blasters. As he approaches her, he sticks one into his belt. Lowering himself and holding the other out to her, he says, "If you can stay awake for a while, I'll see if I can go find you something."

Romelle nods to him and attempts to take the blaster. Sven pulls it away and adds in a firm tone, "I need you to understand this. You can't go back to sleep. It's not safe. I will knock on the entrance three times before I walk back in. Anything or anybody else attempts to enter, you need to fire on them immediately. Do not hesitate."

"I understand," Romelle answers and he hands her the blaster.

She watches him stand and walk away from her. Just before the cavern entrance, Sven looks back at her once more and reminds her to be watchful. After she nods, he pushes out the large rock hiding the entrance and passes through it. Romelle listens to the sound of the rock being pushed back then settles herself for the wait.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sometime later, Romelle shakes her head and forces her eyes open. It took time, grunts of pain, and more determination than she thought she had, but she managed to sit up. She has to stay awake when she wants nothing more than to return to sleep. The trauma from the last day or two has been taxing. Not to mention the dim light from the ever-depleting candle inspiring sleepiness. When her eyelids drift shut yet again, Romelle shakes her head and wishes for the hundredth time that Sven would return.

A sound of something moving outside draws her attention. Raising the blaster with a shaking hand, she aims it toward the entrance. Her anxiety rising with every breath she draws, Romelle waits as something moves the rock in front of the cavern. Relief fills her when she hears three knocks on the hard rock wall. The low sound of, "It's me," diminishes what little anxiety she has left and Sven walks through the door.

He approaches her, his eyes assessing, and sets the pack he is carrying close to her. Holding the blaster out to him, Romelle says, "I'm glad you're back. I was fighting to stay awake."

Taking the gun from her, Sven says nothing as he kneels down and opens the pack. Taking out a loaf of bread, he hands it to her and orders, "Eat. You need to regain your strength."

Accepting the bread, Romelle pulls off a chunk and begins eating. She watches him as Sven removes several other items from the pack, including more bread, another change of clothing for him, two simple dresses for her, a brush, and several bottles of what she guesses to be soaps or lotions. Unable to resist, Romelle asks, "Where did you find all of that?"

"Harem, slave quarters, and the kitchen," he replies, still taking out items.

"How did you get in and out without being caught?" she demands, incredulous at his daring.

Sven doesn't answer beyond a careless shrug. Emptying the bag, he pulls out a final item, a pair of sturdy looking slippers and sets them beside her, "I hope they fit."

Standing, he moves across the room and places the bag on top of a rock. From her place, Romelle keeps eating the bread while watching him. He stops to check the remains of the fire then makes his way back to her. Sitting close, he picks up a loaf of bread and breaks it in half.

Unable to resist, Romelle asks, "Who are you, Sven? How did you end up here?"

He stares at her silently while eating his bread. Looking down at her own meal and fingering the edge, Romelle continues, "Are you a soldier?"

"Was."

The one word answer is more than she ever hoped for given the way he keeps looking at her, as if looking through her. Before she can ask anything else, Sven states, "When you have finished, I'll show you where you can clean up."

He stands, moves across the small cavern, and sits down by a wall to finish his meal in peace. Remorseful that she pushed him away, Romelle goes back to eating her bread in silence.

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Ten minutes later, Romelle sets the rest of her bread aside and stares across the cavern at Sven. He places the last of his bread in his mouth and finishes it before standing. Walking back to her, he holds out a hand. Taking it, Romelle rises with his help, holding back the gasps of pain the movement causes. Once she is on her feet and stable, Sven bends over to pick up the candle. Moving across the cavern, he lights a lantern, blows out the candle before setting it aside, and picks up the bag. Returning to her, he sets the lantern down on the floor to pick up a dress, the slippers, and two of the bottles, and places them in the bag. Finished, he looks her over before asking, "Think you can walk alone?"

Looking down at her feet, Romelle takes a tentative step forward and almost falls. Only Sven's quick reflexes stops her from landing on the ground. His arm, like a vise grip around her waist holding her in place. She listens to him sigh then he says, "Small steps, easy."

She doesn't know whether to feel relieved or insulted that he seems to find touching her repulsive. After she has taken two small steps, he hands her the bag. Sven picks up the lantern then they slowly walk together to the back of the cavern and around another large rock to an opening she failed to notice earlier. Romelle notes the strange looking tunnel as they move down it and asks, "Are these natural tunnels?"

"Some, others were created by past slaves as a means of escaping the guards."

They walk the rest of the way in companionable silence until Romelle hears the sound of running water. Stepping through a final archway, she gasps at the sight of the ten-foot high waterfall and the small creek, the water flowing past them. Sven releases her to place the lantern on a boulder beside the water. He turns back to her to inform her, "It's a small underground river that flows through the caves. The water is a little cool, but endurable."

He points toward the entrance, "I'll wait there. Use the blanket to dry off and call for me when you're finished."

Nodding to him, Romelle waits until he disappears to move over to the rock and set the bag down. After removing the contents and setting them on the boulder beside the lantern, she pulls the blanket off. Laying it near the other things, she picks up one of the bottles and sniffs the contents. Taking it with her, she steps into the water and limps over to the falls.

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Sitting next to the entrance, Sven contemplates the woman in the other room while berating himself. As his mother would say, he was born a fool. Every bit of trouble he has ever been in has been because of his inability to turn away from a woman in trouble. He ended up at the Space Academy because he stepped into a fight between a friend and his girlfriend, just before it turned physical. Instead, his friend went after him and it ended in a huge brawl. The judge threw the book at both of them. They had to choose between jail time or joining the Space Academy. It was the best thing that ever happened to him. The Space Academy was where he met Keith, the best friend he would ever have. It was the one event in his life he'd never regret. If only his foolishness had ended there. He ended up on Planet Ebb because he saved Princess Allura from Haggar's attack. His capture by the Doom troops on Ebb was because he was compelled to save the nurse who tended to him. Thanks to his help, she got away, he didn't.

A deep sigh escapes him. Now, he is stuck with Princess Romelle. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was when she dropped from the Pit of Skulls and Prince Lotor sent men to finish her. News of her capture has gone through the slave quarters for the last month. He knew little about her beyond the fact that Lotor killed her father and took her. Typical stuff for the ruling class of Planet Doom.

Her resemblance to Princess Allura startled him when he finally took a good look at her after escaping the troops. He guessed there must be some kind of relation between them since the royal families tend to intermarry. However, who knew if they knew of one another. Given Arus' history, he rather doubted it.

Running his hand over his unkempt beard, Sven contemplates shaving it off for the first time in months. Most of the time, he doesn't care about his appearance. In fact, the wild look keeps most of the other slaves away when he happens onto them. His thoughts run to the princess once more. He doesn't want to scare her and God only knows how much she has been through. It won't hurt him to make himself more presentable. After escorting Princess Romelle back to the cave, he'll come back.

A sharp scream, followed by his name being called, drives Sven to his feet. Pulling out his blaster, he races back into the cavern. He finds Romelle nude and making her way toward him as fast as her injured hip will allow. She points to the other side of the cavern while exclaiming, "Over there!"

Looking across the room, he finds scruffy children crawling around on all fours on a small cliff in the shadows. They growl and snarl like animals as they stare at them. Lifting his blaster, Sven fires two shots, hitting the cavern wall above their heads. They howl in fear and leave through the hole in the wall behind them.

"What were they?"

Turning his attention back to the princess, Sven freezes. She reminds him of the stories of the Norse Sea Goddess, Rán. Her wet, long, blond hair hangs around her, doing a poor job of hiding her breasts or the rest of her lithe form. Reaching him, Romelle presses herself against him. Her fingers dig into his shirt as she seeks his protection. Feeling his mouth going dry at her nearness, Sven sucks in a deep breath while trying to calm himself before remembering her question. Finding his voice, he answers, "Feral children."

"Children?" she repeats, her gaze shifting from the cliff to stare up at him disbelief.

"Feral children," Sven reiterates. "They run in packs like wolves down here. They will attack like the animals they are if it serves them."

Romelle shudders in his arms, her cheek coming to rest against his chest as she clings to him. Feeling his body beginning to react, Sven clears his throat, "It's safe now."

She doesn't release him. Preoccupied with the feral children, she asks, "Will they return?"

"I doubt it," he answers, feeling highly uncomfortable with her nakedness. "Not when they know I'm armed."

When she still doesn't release him, Sven looks straight up at the ceiling while saying, "Princess, you haven't finished your bath."

Romelle finally seems to realize the situation, exclaiming, "Oh!" as she releases him. He looks down to find her face flushing a bright red before she scrambles away to grab the blanket and holds it up in front of her.

The situation suddenly seems humorous to Sven. Given how he's taken care of her the last few days, Princess Romelle has nothing left to hide from him. However, he averts his face to hide his smile then says, "I'll leave you to finish your bath," and starts for the door.

"Don't go!"

Turning back, Sven stares at Romelle in disbelief as she limps back to him, her hand out as she pleads with him, "Please, don't leave me alone again."

"Princess, I'll be right outside the door. All you have to do is call again if you need me."

"Don't call me that," she replies, her eyes a little wild.

"What?" Sven asks, confused by the drastic change in her.

"Princess…don't call me that! Call me Romelle," she demands, even her tone sounding desperate. Again, she repeats her request, "Please, stay where I can see you."

About to deny her, Sven stops when he notices the shine to her eyes, as if she is holding back tears. Studying her closer, he notes the slight tremble she is trying to contain. Damn, she's still scared_._ He never could turn down a woman in need. Nodding to her, Sven points to a large rock that faces the shelf the feral children were near, "I will sit there with my back to you."

The tension leaves her body as Romelle relaxes. A grateful smile slips across her face and she nods. Sighing to himself, Sven moves over to the rock, hefts himself up, and settles in to wait. God what a fool he is, he never learns. The sounds of her splashing in the water is complete torture as he pictures her in his mind. The naked princess sea nymph, here to torture him for his stupidity. Trying to force his mind away, Sven starts counting in Norwegian. When he reaches one hundred, he reverses and counts backward back to one. Anything to keep his mind away from the exquisite, naked beauty, who tempts him with every splash of water that reaches his ears.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Twenty minutes later, Romelle runs a hand through her hair a final time, ensuring all the soap is gone. She shivers from the cool water and the draft within the cavern. Limping toward the rock holding the blanket, she covers her breasts with her hands to warm them. Her eyes drift up to Sven as Romelle picks up the blanket and dries herself with it. His presence helped to calm her nerves, nerves torn asunder when she spotted the feral children watching her. Her only thought was to scream for Sven. He came like the white knight of her old childhood stories and saved her. She still can't believe she clung to him like that while naked. How mortifying. When he entered the cavern, the only thing she could think of was to reach him. He represented safety from the strange creatures that frightened her so badly.

Romelle studies him from behind as she dries her hair. He hasn't moved once the whole time he has been on that rock. Never peeked back at her, or so much as shifted his limbs from discomfort. The man is a complete mystery to her. One thing is for sure, Sven is the only true gentleman Romelle has ever met.

Picking up the other bottle, she pours some lotion into her hand and rubs it into her skin. Finished a few minutes later, she picks up the simple dress and pulls it over her head. Looking up to the rock, Romelle calls out, "You can turn around now."

Sven twists around on the rock in one fluid motion, causing a little flutter within Romelle's chest. Confused by the emotion, she watches him slip down from the rock and approach her. His smooth gait reminds her of the large cat that used to keep the mice out of the castle kitchens. Reaching her, Sven arches an eyebrow at her, points at the slippers and asks, "Do they fit?"

"Oh, I haven't tried yet," she answers, embarrassed to be caught staring at him.

Silence stretches between them as he continues to stand there and wait for her. Her face flaming with mortification, Romelle picks up the shoes and bends over to slip them on her feet. Standing, she takes a step before getting over her embarrassment enough to look Sven in the eye and say, "They're a little loose, but they'll do."

He nods and moves past her. Picking up the blanket and bottles from the rock, he places them back in the bag. Finished, he picks up the lantern. Turning back to her, Sven says, "Come, I'll escort you back to the cave."

Upon their arrival, Sven places the bag near her pallet, sets down the lantern, and then moves over to light the candle on the rock next to it. Finished, he moves across the cavern to his belongings. Romelle sits down on her pallet, picks up the hairbrush he provided, and works out the tangles in her hair. She watches Sven as he turns away from his things, picks up his change of clothing and makes his way back to her. Holding out a blaster, he remarks, "My turn."

Reluctantly accepting the weapon, Romelle states, "You're leaving me again?"

"Only long enough to get cleaned up. Don't fall asleep until I return."

Part of her wants to object to being left alone again. Instead, she mentally calls herself a silly fool for being such a coward. Nodding in answer when she really wants to ask if she can go with, Romelle watches him as he turns around and picks up the lantern. His eyes meet hers then he leaves the cavern. Turning her attention back to working out the tangles in her hair, Romelle thinks about her situation and wonders what will happen to her next.

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Seems like very little time has passed and Romelle struggles to stay awake yet again. Sven's return, eating, bathing in cold water, and the adrenalin from seeing the feral children kept her alert earlier. But, without something to stimulate her, the need for sleep is almost overwhelming. Yawning, she is about to rise and go find Sven when she hears the three taps near the boulder hiding the back exit. He steps around it the next moment and Romelle's breath catches in her throat.

Dressed in a Drule military shirt and pants that outline his muscular physique, Sven cuts a dashing figure. With his hair cut much shorter, if a bit uneven, and his face clean-shaven, he astounds Romelle. She continues to stare at him in wonder. Her mouth goes dry and certain parts of her body react in ways she never thought possible again after everything Lotor did to her. He glances her way then lowers the wick on the lantern and sets it down on the ground near the tunnel. Crossing the cave, he returns the things he brought with him to bathe to his storage space. When Sven finally turns to face her, he notices her staring and asks, "Are you all right?"

As if being shaken out of a dream, Romelle snaps alert and stutters out her reply, "Yes…yes, I'm…I'm fine."

When Sven gives her a disbelieving look, she adds, "I'm just tired."

"Perhaps you should rest," Sven suggests as he stops in front of her.

Happy for the suggestion as a way to escape her embarrassing behavior, Romelle hands him back the blaster and then lays down on her pallet. She watches him pick up the candle and set it down on a rock on the other side of the cavern. He returns more things to their proper place then settles against the other wall and picks up a book. As Sven sits and reads by candlelight, Romelle's exhaustion overtakes her and she drifts off to sleep.

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_Backing up while keeping the monster in front of her, Romelle stops when something strikes the back of her legs and she almost falls. Glancing back, she finds a bed. Panic engulfing her, she looks back to find him close to her and nude. Sinister yellow eyes watch her every movement. Lotor's lips curl in a sneering smile, revealing his fangs. His hand reaches for her as he says, "To the victor, goes the spoils."_

"NO!"

Sitting up and gasping for air, Romelle feels the tears sliding out of her eyes and down her cheeks. A hand settles on her shoulder the next moment. Afraid, she pulls away until she hears, "It's all right, Romelle. You're safe."

Looking over her shoulder, she finds Sven kneeling next to her, his dark eyes filled with concern. Unable to stop herself, Romelle launches herself at him. His arms move around her. Whether to hold her or just to catch her and prevent both of them from toppling over, she doesn't know and doesn't care. Hiding her face in his shirt, Romelle continues crying. His arm tightens around her waist. He strokes her hair while murmuring comforting words into her ear.

Time passes, the tears slowly end and her fear passes until all she knows is the voice of the man whispering to her. With sleep reclaiming her, Romelle releases a final sigh then drifts away.

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The next time Romelle awakens, it is to find the cavern completely dark. Fearful, a small noise escapes her only for Sven's body to slide over top of hers, his hand covering her mouth. Panic fills her until he breathes into her ear, "Quiet and don't move. Doom troops."

Calming a little, Romelle nods to him despite the darkness and fear of discovery. He removes his hand then slips away from her. She senses Sven moving around the cavern, a shadow with a blaster in hand. Briefly, he becomes visible against the dim light cast from the soldiers' lantern at the opening. Afraid of making any noise, she stays as still as possible, almost afraid to breathe for fear of the robots hearing her. From behind the large boulder hiding their shelter, the princess hears the sound of the robots speaking to each other.

"Prince Lotor has been in a rage since we lost her."

"If we don't find the princess soon, he'll send us to the Pit of Skulls."

"Better the pit than the arena."

The other robot makes a rude noise before responding, "Let's double back, and recheck the route."

The voices fade as they move away, "I hate these tunnels…worse than a maze."

Relief fills her. They are safe, for the time being. She senses more than hears Sven sitting down next to her. His hand comes to rest on her shoulder and squeezes, reassuring her. Romelle starts to sit up only for Sven's hand to squeeze her shoulder again. Acknowledging the silent order, she lays back down. Concentrating, she hears the sound of more booted footsteps. Attempting to block out the fear that inspires, Romelle allows her mind to wander to thoughts of home and memories of the past.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Opening her eyes, Romelle is shocked to discover she fell asleep. As scared as she was with the troops right outside of the cave, she didn't think sleep would even be an option. A small amount of light throws her shadow against the wall in front of her. The only sound in the room is of fabric moving. Curious, Romelle rolls over and the sight in front of her causes her mouth to go dry.

A shirtless Sven shifts from position to position with a long wooden staff between both hands. The fine sheen of sweat on his chest and arms as he works shines from the dim light of the candle. Her heart rate increases as she watches the muscles expand and contract. He spins with the staff then brings it down hard, stopping just before it touches the ground. Barely a moment passes before Sven lifts it and swings around the other way, spinning it in his hands as he shifts his legs. The graceful movements remind Romelle of a dance.

He realizes she isn't sleeping. Stopping, he drops the staff to his side and turns to face her. Giving her a nod in greeting, Sven asks, "Did you sleep well?"

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Romelle makes a show of straightening the top of her blanket as she replies, "Yes…yes, I did."

A dark eyebrow arches at her, but he doesn't reply. Moving across the room, he sets the staff in the corner that contains most of his things. He lights the small lantern from the wick of the candle, brightening the room. Picking up his shirt, Sven pulls it over his head before turning back to face her. Directing her attention to the bundle beside her, he states, "You should have some bread left if you're hungry."

Romelle nods as she sits up. Her bladder screams the need for relief, but she is too embarrassed to say anything. Instead, directing his attention to the cavern entrance, she asks, "Are the troops all gone?"

"Yes, I stopped hearing them about an hour ago."

"They're still looking for me, aren't they?" she asks, her eyes downcast.

"Yes, but you are safe here."

Looking up at him, Romelle notes the determination in his eyes. Smiling, she replies, "With you here, I believe that."

Sven nods then seems to notice her squirming. Humor shines in his eyes as he remarks, "If you need to relieve yourself, you can do so back by the falls. Just go downstream."

"Is it safe?" Romelle asks before thinking about it. "What if those…children…come back?"

He turns back to pick up the lantern. Moving toward her, he pulls out the blaster she failed to notice from the back of his pants. Sven hands it to her while instructing, "If they come out, fire above their heads as I did. They will leave."

Accepting the blaster, Romelle slowly rises to her feet, her hip stiff from lying in one place for so long. She stumbles forward, unsteady on her feet. His hand grips her arm to steady her. Once she has no fear of falling, Romelle nods to him, "I'm fine."

Sven releases his grip on her, hands her the lantern, and then stares into her eyes, "There is one thing you must remember down here."

"Yes?" she asks when he falls silent.

He shakes himself as if lost in thought and he forgot his place. Nodding to the blaster in her hand, he says, "Always be aware of your surroundings. Failure to do so could be deadly."

Nodding, Romelle shuffles away from him. Reaching the back door that leads to the falls, she looks back at him to find Sven watching her closely. Temptation fills her to ask him to go with. Refusing to give in to her cowardice, Romelle stiffens her jaw with resolve and makes her way out of the cave.

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Watching her disappearing past the door, Sven smiles to himself. Romelle will be all right with time, despite all the terror Lotor inflicted. He could see from her expression that she wanted to ask him to go with her. He didn't know if it was pride, or something else that stopped her, but his admiration for her strength grew when she turned around and left the cave without him. Picking up the candle, Sven moves over to his things.

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Returning several minutes later, Romelle steps around the boulder to find Sven placing a knife in his boot. He glances her way as he picks up the second blaster and places it in the back of his pants. Limping toward him, she asks, "What are you doing?"

"You need food," he answers without looking at her and picking up the bag he used the day before.

"You're leaving me again?" Romelle asks, her eyebrows furrowing together as she sets the lantern and blaster down on the ledge. Facing him as he loops the empty bag into his belt, she balls her fingers into her skirt to keep herself from grabbing onto him and trying to keep him near. Unable to stop it, tears sting her eyes and her chin wobbles.

Sven looks back at her, his gaze probing. Reaching over, he pulls her hand away from her skirt and rubs it between both of his hands until she relaxes it. Squeezing her hand gently, he says, "You have more strength than you know, Romelle."

"Lotor said I had no spirit," she replies, unable to stop herself from repeating that demeaning insult.

"He's an idiot," Sven says, as he looks into her eyes. Reaching up with his free hand, he wipes away the single tear that escapes and slides down her cheek. Releasing her, he states, "I have to go. You're far too thin and need food to heal."

Unable to stop herself, Romelle blurts out her greatest fear, "But what if you don't come back?"

Sven lets out a deep sigh while dropping his head to his chest. When he looks back at her, he states, "I will come back."

Staring into his eyes, Romelle finds them filled with determination that asks her to trust him. Sucking in a sobbing breath, she nods. He gives her a small smile before instructing, "Turn down the lantern. If you hear any noise, blow out the candle and sit quietly. If someone other than me comes through that door-"

"Shoot them," Romelle interjects, trying to smile past the tears still sliding out of her eyes.

Sven nods then gestures to her pallet, "Don't fall asleep until I return."

"I know, it isn't safe," she says while wiping at her cheeks.

His hand rises, as if to touch her again, but he pulls away and heads for the door. Sven pushes the rock out, slips between then she hears it being pushed back. Sighing to herself, Romelle turns down the lantern, picks up the blaster, moves over to her pallet, and sits down to wait.

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Listening to the roaring sounds coming from the arena, Sven makes his way down the tunnels that lead to the planet's surface. It took him longer than it normally would to get here. He had to take different routes to avoid the robot soldiers still guarding the passages. Reaching the surface, he looks around. Determining there is no immediate danger, he continues on his way. The roar of the crowd pulls his attention again. The noise seems more boisterous than normal. Deciding to check it out, Sven turns in that direction. Mingling with the other slaves, he works his way to the front where he can see the arena. Finding a group of frightened looking slaves in the middle, his chest constricts.

"Princess Romelle, come forward unless you want more people to die in your place."

The sound of Prince Lotor's taunting voice sends anger surging through Sven. He looks up at the royal suite. The Doom prince looks down on the crowd as he waits for Romelle to come forward. As if she would be mixed with the crowd. After waiting a minute, Lotor raises his hand. The robeasts in the arena move forward and the slaves scream while trying to escape. Unable to watch any longer, Sven turns away. He has to hurry, get the things they need, and get back to Romelle.

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Pulling at a loose thread on her skirt, Romelle's gaze keeps darting around the cave while trying to think of something to occupy her mind. Unused to such inactivity, the boredom of simply sitting and waiting for Sven's return is not helping to keep her alert. Oh if only she had a clock! She has no idea how much time has passed or even what day it is. How long has it been since Lotor took her from her home? Thoughts of home bring tears to her eyes that she fights back. No use thinking about such things, is there? Wiping at her cheeks, she looks down at her skirt.

Her eyes pause on the piece of thread at her fingertips. Thin, faded blue in color and nothing like the material from her dresses at home. What she wouldn't give for one of those dresses right now. Happy memories. Perhaps that is what she needs to concentrate on instead of the time. She allows her mind to float back to some of the balls her mother used to give. Oh, the beautiful dresses and the way they moved as the women danced. Her back rests comfortably against the back wall as she daydreams of times gone by. Suddenly the daydreams fade and her eyelids slide down. Romelle sits upright and shakes her head in an attempt to become more alert. Curse this weakness and the almost constant need to sleep.

Her eyes fall on Sven's things and the book resting on top. She needs something to stimulate her mind. Perhaps reading would help her stay awake. Rising, she limps over to the other wall. Picking up the worn out book, Romelle looks at the cover, unable to discern the title. Opening it, she is relieved to find a language she understands. Moving back over to her pallet, she settles on it and begins to read.

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Yawning broadly, Romelle turns the page to the next chapter. Under normal circumstances, she would find this book fascinating. As tired as she is, it can't hold her interest. Feeling her eyelids drooping, she reads the same line for the third time. After shaking her head, she braces her chin on her hand and stares down at the book. The words blur and merge into an inky mess. Her eyelids fall only for her to sit up and shake her head again. Desperate, she tries to rub the tiredness from her eyes. Settling against the rock wall, Romelle tries to read again. The effort to stay awake fails though and her eyelids fall for a final time, her chin coming to rest against her chest.

The sound of the rock at the entrance moving brings her head up. She looks around; a little confused about how much time has passed. Not quite awake, she smiles while thinking Sven must be back, and calls out, "Sven?"

The rock stops moving. Her apprehension building, Romelle calls out again, "Sven? Is that you?"

Fear rises as the rock moves once more. Unable to look away from the entrance, Romelle's bloodless fingers move alongside the pallet, desperately trying to locate the blaster.

A metallic hand holding a laser gun appears. Looking away long enough to find the blaster, Romelle grasps it with shaking hands as the robot steps through the doorway. A grotesque smile slips across its face as it says, "Found you at last. Prince Lotor will be most pleased."

He moves closer. Her entire body shaking, Romelle lifts the gun at the same time the robot lifts his and fires.


	17. Chapter 17

Many thanks to the reviewers. I try to thank them individually, but hard to do with the anonymous ones. Just know I appreciate them! Ok, on with the show!

Mertz

Chapter 17

Flattening himself against the rock wall behind him with his blaster in hand, Sven thanks God for the dark clothing he stole the day before. It helps him blend into the shadows, making it harder for the robot soldiers to see him. He listens to their conversation before they turn and walk away. The light from their torches fade until the only remaining light is from the occasional air vent. Releasing the breath he didn't realize he was holding, Sven swears in a low tone. They are still searching for Romelle. Lotor sent them back into the tunnels when he failed to flush her out at the arena. He waits a moment longer, allowing his eyes to readjust to the darkness. Pushing away from the wall, Sven continues down the tunnel. He doesn't understand why they are still searching for her. When he disappeared, they only searched for him for a few days. Lotor is obsessed with finding Romelle.

Quickening his pace, he turns down another tunnel instead of continuing on his original path. He needs to return. While Romelle has more strength than she knows, he doesn't know how she would handle a situation with the guards outside their door without him there. He has enough food for two weeks. He'll just have to wait on the other things he wanted to look for.

Reaching the tunnel leading to his cavern, Sven runs. He stops abruptly when he spots the entrance. The rock has been moved. Feeling adrenalin pulsing through his veins, he approaches the opening. Stopping beside it, he glances around the rock and finds the room darkened. Feeling moisture slicking his palm, Sven grips his blaster and whispers, "Romelle?"

The sound of something hitting the rock floor reaches his ears. Slipping around the opening, he whispers her name again. Quiet weeping reaches him next. Dropping his bag on the floor, Sven starts to cross the room only to trip over something. Managing to keep his balance, he reaches down and feels something metallic beneath his fingers. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a set of matches and lights one. As the small light flares, Sven finds a dead robot soldier at his feet.

Standing upright and holding up the match to cast a dim light about the room, Sven raises his voice, "Romelle! Answer me!"

"He…here."

Stepping over the robot, Sven makes his way to Romelle's pallet. He finds her sitting with her back against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chin, and tears running down her cheeks. On the hard rock floor rests the blaster she dropped. Relief fills Sven to find her safe.

Sven lights the candle resting on a rock shelf close to her then crosses the room to move the rock back over the opening. The sound of a sob coming from behind him echoes in the cavernous space. Glancing down at the robot as he passes him, Sven notes the blackened blast mark in the middle of its chest. Reaching Romelle, he sits down beside her, mimics her by bringing his knees up and asks, "What happened?"

He feels her shudder against his side. When she finally looks up, her gaze goes to the body of the robot. Her hand reaches over to him and Sven takes it, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He has to strain to hear her when she says, "I was so tired. It's hard to stay awake without someone to talk to."

"You're still healing," Sven says, but then waits for her.

"I felt myself falling asleep, so I borrowed your book."

Sven glances over to find one of his books lying on the ground close to them, upended with the pages bent over in a strange fashion. Reaching across, he picks it up to straighten it. Glancing at the well-worn pages, he prompts, "And then?"

"I was fine at first. It's an interesting book. But then I couldn't focus anymore and I feel asleep."

Another sob escapes her and all at once Romelle is curled against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Her fingers dig into him as she finishes, "I woke up when I heard the rock move. I thought it was you at first and I called out your name. When the robot came in…"

She falls silent. Pulling her hand from his side, Sven intertwines their fingers. She need not say anymore, he knows what happened. Thankful that she fired first, Sven says, "I'm glad you're safe."

"Don't leave me alone again."

The plaintive tone has him promising without thinking, "I won't."

A sound out in the tunnel reaches them and Sven blows out the candle. In the dark, he feels Romelle hiding her face near his neck. Releasing her fingers, he picks up the blaster. Wrapping his other arm around her back, he holds her close. They sit together, listening to the sounds of the Doom robots outside as time drifts by.

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Awakening, Romelle becomes cognizant of the warm body she is curled up against. She notes the dim light of a candle before closing her eyes. The sound of Sven's heart beating echoes against her ear. The steady beat, peaceful. For the first time in a long time, she feels safe. Something she never thought to feel again. A deep sigh escapes her, and she feels the vibration under her ear as Sven says, "Hello. Did you sleep well?"

Wanting to keep the moment just a little longer, Romelle keeps her eyes closed and sighs out, "Yes."

His hand is on her back a moment later, rubbing lightly as he informs her, "The troops are gone. I haven't heard them in the last couple of hours."

Memory of the day before returns and Romelle opens her eyes. She spots the robot soldier lying on the ground in front of them and shudders. Closing her eyes against it, she admits, "I've never killed anything before."

His hand pauses then moves again. His touch is soothing, drawing the tension away. Romelle feels the lightest pressure on top of her head, as if his lips pressed against her hair. Opening her eyes, she glances down and notices something that makes her freeze. She pulls away but Sven's arm traps her against him. Ready to panic, she hears, "You're safe with me, Romelle."

Looking up, she finds his deep brown eyes shining with empathy. Sven smiles before adding, "I'd never hurt you."

Unable to stop herself, Romelle looks back down at his bulging arousal. His hand moves from her back to her hair and he strokes it as he says, "That is an involuntary bodily response to your nearness. I'm not some animal that would force myself on you."

Tilting her head to look back up at him, Romelle studies his eyes in silence. There is no duplicity, only compassion and possibly something else. Reaching up, she touches the beard hiding his face. Finding the hair prickly, she glides her fingers over his lips. He presses against them, kissing the tips of her fingers. Smiling at his sweetness, Romelle finally answers, "I know."

Her fingers continue to run across his lips for a moment longer. Dropping her head, she comes to rest against his chest once more. His arm wraps around her and they sit silently for a moment. The sound of Sven's stomach growling breaks the silence. Smiling, she looks up at him to ask, "Hungry?"

"We didn't get around to eating yesterday."

He pulls away from her, rises, and crosses the room. After picking up the bag he dropped earlier, Sven returns to her and sits down on the pallet. Opening the bag, he pulls out another smaller bag and hands it to her, "Field rations. They don't taste the best, but are filling and full of nutrients."

Opening the bag, Romelle pulls out something that looks like dried meat and sets it aside. Pulling out another item, she finds some kind of bar. She glances at Sven to find him eating his. Setting that aside, she pulls out a foiled item. Opening the foil, she finds dried fruit. Popping a piece in her mouth, Romelle chews it as she watches Sven continue going through his meal. The jerky disappears next, followed by his own dried fruit. He opens the last item and eyes the hard bread.

He decides against it as he sets it aside and looks at her. He gestures to the meal kit, "You need to eat more than the fruit. Eat the power bar and the jerky, you need protein."

Obliging him, Romelle picks up the bar, "How many of these did you get?"

"Enough to last us a couple of weeks."

"What are we going to do after that?" she asks before taking a bite of the bar.

"We need to get you healed and moving properly if I'm going to keep my promise."

Romelle's cheeks flush at the memory of the night before. Part of her can't believe she pleaded with him like that. The other part of her feels relieved. She hates being alone in this place. If something ever happens to Sven… She forces her mind away from that thought. Romelle looks up to find Sven watching her. Looking away, she works on her power bar. Swallowing a bite, she can't resist asking, "Then what?"

"I'll teach you how to survive."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

After she finishes eating, Sven leads Romelle back to the falls area for another bath at her request. While he has grown accustomed to being dirty in his time on Planet Doom, Romelle is used to being clean. As a princess, she would never go long without a bath. Sitting up on the rock, Sven listens to the splashes behind him and curses his foolish nature. He's getting too close to her. He never should have kissed her fingers, held her all night, or promised that he wouldn't leave her alone again. It's an impossible promise to keep. A deep sigh escapes him. He has to teach her to become self-reliant. Romelle needs to learn to survive on her own. He can't be her savior…he's nobody's savior. Mentally, he goes to work on a plan.

"Sven, I'm done."

Turning around, he finds Romelle with the blanket wrapped around her while carrying her wet clothing. She smiles up at him, "I want to dry a little more before I dress."

His mouth going dry at the sight of the nearly nude princess, Sven nods. He jumps down from the rock and approaches her. Taking the sack of bathing items and the lantern, he silently leads the way back to their tunnel. Reaching their living space, Sven sets the bag and lantern down then glances at the dead robot soldier. Turning toward Romelle as she settles herself on the pallet and begins working on the tangles in her hair, he remarks, "I need to get rid of that thing. It's possible they could trace it here."

Romelle looks up alarmed, "You're leaving me?"

"Not for long." He kneels down beside her, "I know I promised, but this needs to be done, and you can't walk that far. I won't be gone long."

Tears shimmer in her eyes, but she nods. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Sven rises, walks across the room, picks up the robot soldier in a fireman's lift and heads for the door. He glances back at Romelle to reiterate, "I won't be long."

Her lower chin quivers, but she nods again then looks away. Sucking in a deep breath while trying to ignore the knot forming in his chest, Sven pushes past the rock and starts down the tunnel. He needs to hurry and get back and knows the perfect spot to get rid of this thing.

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Thirty minutes later, Sven knocks on the rock outside of their entrance and whispers Romelle's name. Entering, he finds her sitting on her pallet with a blaster in her hand. At least she dressed while he was gone. Her relief at the sight of him is palpable as she says, "You're back!"

"I told you I wouldn't be long," Sven remarks as he sinks down to his knees in front of her.

Regardless, she leans forward and wraps her arms around him. Romelle's lips brush against his ear as she says, "I was so afraid you wouldn't come back."

Feeling highly uncomfortable, Sven pats her back and pulls away. Romelle isn't fast enough to mask the hurt in her expression. She turns away to settle back against the pallet. Groping around for something to break the silence, Sven asks, "Are you hungry?"

Eyes downcast, she shakes her head. Her fingers move into her mostly dry hair and she does a quick braid. His eyes follow the tendrils at the end, lying near her breasts. Forcing his gaze up, Sven clears his throat. When she looks back at him, he says, "Do you feel well enough to work?"

"Work?"

Forcing a smile to his face, Sven adds, "On getting well. In order for you to join me in the future, you need to regain the strength in your hip."

Romelle nods to him. Helping her to rise, he says, "We'll start with simple stretches that will help with movement. Later, when you're strong enough, I'll show you how to defend yourself."

"How to fight?" Romelle asks, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes," Sven replies, a real smile slipping across his face. "I'll show you how to fight."

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They spend awhile on movements that stretch the tight muscles. Romelle can't help smiling when she takes a step without limping. Disappointment fills her when Sven makes her stop. While his explanation of not overexerting the muscles makes sense, stopping when she just made progress is beyond frustrating.

Moving back to her pallet, Romelle asks, "What now?"

Sven shrugs then moves over to his things. With his back to her, she fails to see what he does until he turns back with two books in his hand. As he returns to her, he says, "I usually spend time reading."

He hands her the book she started the other day and sits down beside her pallet. Glancing at the worn cover and spine, she asks, "How often have you read these?"

Running his hand fondly over the cover of his book, Sven says, "Many times. But, I was lucky to find them." He arches a sardonic eyebrow at her, "Doom doesn't have a public library."

"How did you find them?"

His shoulders rise and fall with indifference. Just when Romelle thinks he won't answer, Sven says, "They have a dump where they throw things they consider garbage. I found them in a broken trunk the soldiers must have taken from another planet."

Settling against the rock wall, Sven crosses his legs in front of him, and opens the book. Apparently, their discussion is over. Opening her own book, Romelle finds the page she left off at and begins reading.

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Two hours later, Romelle's eyelids begin to droop. Looking over, she finds Sven still engrossed in his own book and shakes her head. How does he spend hours every day doing this? Doesn't he get bored after a while? Covering a yawn, she looks back down at her book, but cannot focus.

"If you're tired, why don't you sleep for a while?"

Looking over, she finds a smile on Sven's face as he looks back at her. To make his point, he slides over, off the pallet. Giving in, Romelle sets aside her book and lays down. A blanket covers her the next moment and she closes her eyes. It doesn't take long for sleep to claim her.

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After re-reading the same passage for the fifth time, Sven gives up and does the one thing he's been trying to avoid for the last hour. His gaze shifts to the sleeping princess. Her breathing is deep and even. Her arm rests under her head, supporting it. He stares at her lips, so full and pink, kissable. A sigh escapes her and she shifts, dislodging the blanket. Unbidden, Sven's gaze shifts to her chest. The dress molds to her breasts perfectly, teasing him mercilessly.

Forcing his gaze back to his book, Sven berates himself for being no better than Lotor. To be fair, while he looked, he would never touch Romelle without her permission. God knows Lotor did more than touch the poor girl. Sven goes over his plan in his head. It'll take three or four months to get her self-sufficient. Then he will leave and find a new place to stay. The cave system is vast, it shouldn't be a problem finding a new place.

The knot growing in his chest makes it hard to breathe. Sven ignores the deep-seated sense of honor that the Academy instilled in him at the thought of abandoning Romelle. He needs to be on his own. Hasn't he proven repeatedly that he can't be depended on? Disgusted with himself, Sven sets the book aside and stands. Moving across the room, he picks up his staff. He needs to work and not think. Thinking only brings pain.

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Leaving behind the sounds of his father's banquet hall, Lotor makes his way down the halls of Castle Doom. The old fool seems to love to bring up his recent failures with Arus and Pollux every time others are near. Which means, he can't even enjoy a meal without being harangued. The only thing that'll shut Zarkon up is if he conquers Pollux.

Entering Haggar's laboratory, he glances around at the various experiments behind their glass enclosures. Pausing, Lotor studies one. A strange looking beast swims past in the water-filled tank. Reptile like, long arms with claw-tipped fingers pull at the water effortlessly. Its long tail swishes back and forth in a graceful manner as the beast changes directions. It spins around then bright green eyes lock on him. Lotor steps back the next moment when the beast flies at him and rams against the glass wall.

"Careful, Prince Lotor. There are some things in here that are both dangerous and intelligent."

Lotor glances back to find the old witch approaching him. The beast hits the glass with its fist to regain his attention. His snake-like tongue slithers out of his mouth at him. Looking into that green gaze, Lotor notes the intelligence behind the eyes just before the beast breaks eye contact, turns, and swims away.

Shaking his head at it, Lotor demands, "What are you keeping that thing for, Haggar?"

Her gaze shifts to follow the tail as it swishes through the water. Her lips twist into a smile that can only be described as terrifying. She turns to face him, her yellow eyes bright with madness and answers, "Just in case."

"In case of what?" demands Lotor, his hands fisting at his sides.

Haggar smiles at him again then cackles. She walks away from the tank and heads toward the back of her lab. Forced to follow, Lotor walks slowly, always watching her. Experience has taught him to never show Haggar his back, or his fear. Remembering his conversation with his father at dinner, he says, "Haggar. I need something to defeat Pollux with."

"I've been working on that," she answers, her back still to him.

The witch leads him to her robeast pen. His eyebrows raise to his hairline at the sight before him. What can only be described as a robotic woman stands in the middle of the room. Metal plating covers its arms and legs, like a shirt and pants. A metal brassiere with spikes in appropriate places and a skirt covers its chest and hips. A Drule skull belt surrounds its waist and a metal cape protects it back. The face consists only of empty looking eyes and contoured metal for cheekbones and a jaw. Lotor's gaze moves back to the crown on top of its head and he asks, "What's that?"

"I call her the Iron Maiden," Haggar says as she reaches the controls and flips a switch.

The robot's eyes flash a bright yellow with the power surge then turn black. As it moves its arms, Lotor watches the armor plating shift and flow like the fabric it represents. It reaches across and pulls out its sword, pointing it at the window. Snorting in disgust, he states, "It's slow! Even Bandor will be able to beat it."

"It's not ready yet, Lotor," the witch retorts, her eyes flashing with indignation. She presses several buttons and the robot puts the sword back and shuts down. "When I'm finished, it will make you look slow."

Intrigued, Lotor studies the robot again. If the witch fixes the issues with it, it may even defeat Voltron. However, he needs to take down Pollux first. Rubbing his chin as he contemplates the possibilities, he asks, "How long?"

"Two to three weeks."

Glaring at her, Lotor demands, "What's the hold up?"

"Machines are harder to create than robeasts. You have to program the intelligence." She glances his way to cast an insult, "Unlike men or beasts, either they're smart or they're not."

Snorting in disgust, Lotor rolls his eyes. He turns around to leave, "Notify me when it's ready."

He doesn't wait for Haggar's affirmation. Nearing the exit, he pauses to look at the beast in the water enclosure once more. It curls its lips at him, showing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Imaging what the beast could do with those teeth, Lotor barely stops himself from shuddering before walking away and leaving the laboratory.


End file.
